Oil on canvas

Signed and indistinctly dated upper right

41 x 51 cm.

Total Dimensions: 54 x 64 cm.

Willem Jansen (Amsterdam, 1892 – Hilversum, 1969) was a gifted artist with a natural talent for drawing and a strong desire to become a painter from a young age. Remarkably, his parents were supportive of his ambitions, which was uncommon for the time. In 1909, he enrolled at the National School of Arts and Crafts, completing a two-year training as a teacher. He briefly attended classes at the National Academy as well.

 After completing his military service, Jansen worked in a decorative arts studio and later expanded his talents to furniture and interior design. However, his passion for painting led him to pursue a career as an independent artist. In 1914, he joined the St. Luke's Artists Association, where he connected with influential painters such as Sluyters, Van Dongen, Van Wijngaerdt, and members of the Bergen School. His work from this period was notably influenced by Luminism, Fauvism, and Expressionism. In 1920, he also became a member of the artist association De Onafhankelijken.

 After 1920, Jansen shifted away from the vibrant, expressive style that had previously characterized his work, embracing a more restrained and sometimes romantically expressive naturalism. This change not only reflected his evolving artistic vision but also addressed the needs of the professional art market. For years, he continued to create evocative scenes illuminated by candlelight or red-tinted lights.

Jansen lived a life divided between two worlds. On one side, he had the challenges of family life, including the care of a child with developmental disabilities, which led to a reclusive lifestyle in Westzaan. On the other side, he embraced the freedom of artistic expression. Around 1922, he became a member of the Zaan artist association De Zaankanters and, along with Cornelis Koning, held a significant exhibition at Heystee, Smit & Co in Amsterdam. The exhibition received high praise, with critics describing the two artists as “important and promising national painters.”

The 1920s proved to be a successful period for Jansen. In 1925, his etching of the mill De Grootvorst was selected as the premium plate for St. Lucas. His craftsmanship was further recognized when the Rijksprentenkabinet at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam acquired nine of his etchings.

The economic hardships of the following years forced the family to relocate several times, returning to Amsterdam and later settling in Koog aan de Zaan, where Jansen operated a small home art business. To supplement his income, he took on commissioned work, including producing calendar illustrations. By the mid-1930s, while living in Dubbel Buurt, Jansen’s son Chris began to show artistic promise under his father’s guidance. Though Chris would eventually develop his own distinct style, father and son frequently ventured out together to paint the polder landscapes and windmills. Willem, the seasoned romantic, and Chris, the eager apprentice with a more complex expression, became inseparable in their artistic endeavors. When the family moved to the Rhenen area, their bond grew even stronger as Chris pursued his father’s technique with bold, direct brushwork.

The period around and during World War II were again particularly tough for artists. It wasn't until the early 1950s that a major turning point came. In 1952 Willem turned sixty and many felt this was a good opportunity to give Willem, Chris and the family the attention they deserved. This resulted in an honorary exhibition in May 1952; first in the home town of Westzaan which was opened by Mayor Vijlbrief, followed by an exhibition in the Meufa factories in Zaandam. The event received much attention and enjoyed great public interest. The attention did both artists good. Together they went out in the Zaanstreek during those years and became characteristic figures in the Zaan streetscape. Art was sold from their homes and music evenings were enjoyed at home.

 Chris died suddenly at the age of 43. A heavy blow for the family. Since then, Willem has made very little work. A year later he turned seventy and a group of fellow artists organized another anniversary exhibition at Het Weefhuis in Zaandijk. Gradually his health deteriorated and he died in a nursing home in Hilversum.

For sale a painting by Willem Jansen