Arthur van Schendel (1910-1979) 1931 - 1980

Arthur van Schendel’s head was sculpted by Johan G. Wertheim, but who knows when? Bronze gives it the gravitas of history, like a Roman bust, but it also feels modern. I can just imagine Wertheim, his hands working the clay, trying to capture not just the likeness but the inner life of his subject. The slight asymmetry of the eyes, the subtle turn of the lips – these are the details that give the sculpture its presence, its undeniable sense of being. What was it like to be Arthur van Schendel? Was he quiet? Mischievous? Perhaps Wertheim knew. The surface texture is wonderful: you can feel the artist’s touch, the way he built up the form, layer by layer. It reminds me of other artists I admire; Rodin or Giacometti, all masters of form and feeling. We are all in conversation, all trying to capture something essential about what it means to be human.