Carel Willink - Wolkenlucht, ca. 1942

Inkjet print
33,75 x 50 cm
Edition of 30

About the work
An exceptional and, until now, little-known theme in the voluminous oeuvre of the well-known Dutch painter Carel Willink is presented. In the 1930s, he began to photograph the Amsterdam sky from his apartment and studio, overlooking the famous Rijksmuseum, to use as material for sketches. These clouded skies were hidden away for years in his archive of negatives managed by his widow Sylvia Willink-Quiël. There they stayed until last year when Willem van Zoetendaal, photography expert, book publisher, and exhibition curator, dedicated a publication – with Willink-Quiël's support – to this very specific work by Carel Willink. This publication has also provided the inspiration for the exhibition in 2015.

This work is selected from Willink’s archive and completely depicts the whole negative format. The negative was scanned and reprinted in accordance with Willink’s style by Harold Strak, an expert in the field of editing and reprinting old photos. This photo offers a wonderful insight into Willink’s sketchbook.

About the photographer
Carel Willink (1900-1983) was one of the foremost Dutch painters of magic realism and 'imaginary realism', as he called his painting style. He combined a refined, masterful technique, rendering reality in a detailed way, with a disconcerting, sometimes even threatening atmosphere in his work. His spectacular cloud formations were significant in his work. While making the sketches which preceded the painting process, he collected all kinds of images, such as postcards and newspaper photos. He also used a camera to record his subjects. The photos had a practical purpose; for Willink, it wasn't about the photos themselves, but he used them as preliminary studies for his paintings. With his camera, he scanned the skies outside his studio window across from the Rijksmuseum, searching for, in his own words, 'shifting skies'.

About buying this work
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