Alex Asperslagh - Biddende kloosterling in houtskool, Art Deco • gesigneerd en gedateerd 1922

Alex Asperslagh, later glazier of churches in Heerlen, Haastrecht and The Hague, signed this monastery figure in 1922. The figure in a dark cloak kneels at a prayer chair, hands folded, face raised, surrounded by a halo. Signed and dated in the drawing itself. The tall, narrow format invites its own wall: the gaze follows the figure upward.

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Description:
Charcoal on yellow-brown paper, 60 x 30 cm, under glass. The monk fills the page from bottom to top, in a long mantle with a light collar, beside a kneeling bench with a slanted railing. To the left is a jug, to the right on the hill a small cross. The tone is densely shaded, in long, rhythmic strokes. On the back there are two old labels, one with the name Asperslagh.

About the maker:
Alexander Petrus (Alex) Asperslagh, born May 25, 1901 in The Hague, died August 15, 1984 in Hengelo.
He came from a Catholic family; his brothers Lou and Henk also became glaziers. Alex studied at the The Hague academy and learned glass painting in Lou’s workshop and with Toon Berg in Dordrecht. As a working member of the Leiden art society De Sphinx, he won a prize at the Vaandeltentoonstelling in 1925. His early windows, such as in Heerlen (1926), show the vivid colors and monumental figures of Jan Toorop. After the bankruptcy of the family workshop in 1929, he chose his own path: realistic, dark in color, with much grisaille. He made works for churches in Heerlen, Haastrecht, Amsterdam, The Hague, Silvolde, and Maastricht, alongside oil paintings, pastels, and drawings. In 1925 the magazine Dietsche Warande en Belfort praised his charcoal drawing at the Antwerp Religious Art Salon.

In the interior:
At eye level in a corridor with side light, the gilded frame catches the light and guides the gaze to the halo.

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Condition:
Good, with signs of use on the frame. Frame: the gilding is worn at the edges and corners in a few spots. Drawing: under the glass no cracks or water stains visible. Back: plate with hanging cord. See the pictures.

In a glance:
Material: charcoal on paper, behind glass, gilded wooden frame
Dimensions and weight: frame 73 x 42.5 x 3 cm; drawing 60 x 30 cm; 3,200 grams
Brand: signed and dated 'Alex Asperslagh 1922' in the scene
Dating: 1922
Provenance: private collection, Netherlands

Attribution and sources:
Original work by Alex Asperslagh: name and year appear in the drawing itself, the name also on a label on the back. Biography: Wikipedia, Artindex (Beeldend BeNeLux Elektronisch) and Kerkramen in de Mijnstreek, after Hoogveld, Glas in lood in Nederland 1817-1968; salon of 1925: J. Hallez, Dietsche Warande en Belfort 1925, pp. 751-756.

Shipping:
Professionally packed in a sturdy box with cushioning material, for fragile objects a double box. Always insured, shipped with Track and Trace. More than 1,100 reviews from previous buyers; see the feedback.