Anton Heyboer (1924-2005) - Aan het kruis





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Anton Heyboer, Aan het kruis, mixed media on paper, original, circa 78 × 107 cm, hand-signed, from the 1980s, Netherlands; sold by Galerie.
Description from the seller
Great work on paper by Anton Heyboer (1924–2005), with a strongly simplified, frontally presented human figure that occupies almost the entire image field. The horizontally extended arms and the vertical axis of the body give the composition a distinctly cross-shaped structure. The figure is laid down with broad, spontaneous brushstrokes in bright blue, red and earth brown tones, with large areas of white paper left unpainted.
The execution is direct and expressive: flowing contours and transparent color fields are combined with drips, splashes and powerful pigment accents. Especially around the left side near the hand and arm, blue and red paint splatters concentrate. At the bottom, a freely painted red line forms a horizontal counterpoint. The elemental human figure, the schematic quality, and the free handling of paint align with Heyboer’s personal visual language. Dimensions about 78 × 107 cm.
Biography of the artist
Anton Heyboer (Sabang, Dutch East Indies, 1924 – Den Ilp, 2005) was a Dutch painter, draughtsman and printmaker. His youth unfolded through his father’s work at several places, including the Netherlands, Curaçao and New York. Initially, Heyboer trained as a mechanical engineer. During World War II he was brought to Germany as part of the Labour Service and stayed in a camp in Berlin. These war experiences formed a significant episode in his life.
From the 1950s, Heyboer developed a very personal visual language of figures, signs and symbolic schemes. His international recognition grew rapidly: he participated in Documenta II (1959), Documenta III (1964) and Documenta 4 (1968) in Kassel. The Museum of Modern Art in New York acquired work by him, and Dutch museums organized extensive presentations of his oeuvre. In his later life Heyboer lived and worked in Den Ilp, where he lived with several women in an unconventional living-and-working community that became strongly connected to his public image.
Seller's Story
Great work on paper by Anton Heyboer (1924–2005), with a strongly simplified, frontally presented human figure that occupies almost the entire image field. The horizontally extended arms and the vertical axis of the body give the composition a distinctly cross-shaped structure. The figure is laid down with broad, spontaneous brushstrokes in bright blue, red and earth brown tones, with large areas of white paper left unpainted.
The execution is direct and expressive: flowing contours and transparent color fields are combined with drips, splashes and powerful pigment accents. Especially around the left side near the hand and arm, blue and red paint splatters concentrate. At the bottom, a freely painted red line forms a horizontal counterpoint. The elemental human figure, the schematic quality, and the free handling of paint align with Heyboer’s personal visual language. Dimensions about 78 × 107 cm.
Biography of the artist
Anton Heyboer (Sabang, Dutch East Indies, 1924 – Den Ilp, 2005) was a Dutch painter, draughtsman and printmaker. His youth unfolded through his father’s work at several places, including the Netherlands, Curaçao and New York. Initially, Heyboer trained as a mechanical engineer. During World War II he was brought to Germany as part of the Labour Service and stayed in a camp in Berlin. These war experiences formed a significant episode in his life.
From the 1950s, Heyboer developed a very personal visual language of figures, signs and symbolic schemes. His international recognition grew rapidly: he participated in Documenta II (1959), Documenta III (1964) and Documenta 4 (1968) in Kassel. The Museum of Modern Art in New York acquired work by him, and Dutch museums organized extensive presentations of his oeuvre. In his later life Heyboer lived and worked in Den Ilp, where he lived with several women in an unconventional living-and-working community that became strongly connected to his public image.

