Peter Klashorst (1957) - Woman in Blue

1. Introduction
An original mixed-media painting on canvas by the Dutch artist Peter Klashorst, titled 'Blue Woman' and painted in Amsterdam in 2006. The work is a frontal portrait of a woman, rendered in the expressive, colour-driven manner for which Klashorst is known: bold strokes of blue, yellow and crimson, with the face emerging from layers of colour and freely drawn line. With its direct gaze and vivid palette, it is a striking and immediately recognisable example of the artist's portraiture, equally at home in a collection of Dutch contemporary art as on a living-room wall.

2. The Artist and Artistic Context
Peter Klashorst (b. 1957, Santpoort) belongs to the generation of Dutch painters who emerged in the early 1980s around the 'Nieuwe Wilden' - the Dutch counterpart of the international return to expressive, figurative painting after the dominance of conceptual and minimal art. In 1983 he received the Royal Award for Painting (Koninklijke Prijs voor Vrije Schilderkunst). Throughout his career the female figure and the portrait have stood at the centre of his work, painted with speed, energy and a strong instinct for colour. 'Blue Woman' reflects this approach: rather than describing the sitter in detail, Klashorst builds the image from colour fields and gestures, letting the portrait take shape in the act of painting.

3. Technique and Composition
The work is executed in mixed media on canvas. The face is built up in loose, layered brushwork of cobalt and sky blue, cadmium yellow and deep red, over which the contours of the eyes, nose, lips and hair are drawn in green and white. Long vertical strokes of red, dark blue and yellow frame the face like falling hair, while areas of bare primed canvas are left visible and become part of the composition. Drips, scraped passages and spattered paint give the surface its spontaneity and are characteristic of the artist's direct way of working.

4. Signature and Provenance
Signed 'Klashorst' vertically in black on the right-hand side of the front. The reverse shows the original wooden stretcher, numbered '44'. The painting comes from a group of works acquired from the artist in 2007-2008 by a Dutch private collector; correspondence from that period is in our possession.

5. Condition
Good condition, consistent with age. The canvas is taut on its original stretcher with no tears or losses. Light handling marks are present on the edges, and the reverse shows studio paint marks, as is usual for works from the artist's studio. Sold unframed. The photographs form part of the description.

6. Details
Artist: Peter Klashorst (Dutch, b. 1957). Title: 'Blue Woman'. Year and place: 2006, Amsterdam. Technique: mixed media on canvas. Dimensions: 60 x 50 cm (h x w). Signature: signed on the front, right-hand side. Reverse: original wooden stretcher, numbered '44'.

7. Shipping
Carefully packed and shipped insured with track & trace.