Ernst van Leyden (1892–1969) - Crystaligation du Sublime

This abstract oil painting by Ernst van Leyden (1892–1969) dates from 1958. Against a predominantly blue-gray ground, transparent and opaque geometric planes in broken white, light blue and soft yellow are placed. Over them run powerful dark gray brushstrokes and finer linear contours. The diagonal and curved bands cross each other centrally and give the otherwise restrained composition a pronounced rhythm and tension. Due to the thin layers of paint and locally transparent treatment, the texture of the canvas remains visible.

Bottom left signed and dated Leyden 58. On the reverse side there are several handwritten inscriptions. Dimensions of the work: 118 × 92 cm. Including frame: 137 × 110 cm.

Artist biography
Ernst van Leyden (Rotterdam, 1892–1969) was a Dutch painter, graphic artist and sculptor with a pronounced international career. He studied art in Rotterdam, Berlin, London and Brussels among others and worked during his life from various European and American cities. His early oeuvre was predominantly figurative and close to expressionism; from the late forties he developed himself distinctly in an abstract direction. In the fifties and sixties he also experimented with collage and different materials. Van Leyden's work is represented in international museum collections. The Museum of Modern Art in New York owns multiple works by him; also the National Gallery of Art in Washington and the Buffalo AKG Art Museum have works by Van Leyden in their collections.