Portret van Jankarel Gevers 1976

Rein Dool created this print of Jankarel Gevers using etching. Dool was part of the ‘Groep Scorpio’, a group of Dutch artists rebelling against the established art institutions of the Netherlands. The group’s name suggests their desire to challenge and subvert, like the venomous arachnid. Dool’s choice of subject reflects a broader movement within Dutch art to represent everyday people, rather than idealised or historical figures. Gevers is depicted as a man of intellectual bearing, his gaze directed away as if in thought. The etching technique lends itself to a certain roughness, emphasizing the sitter’s unidealized features. It critiques the traditional expectations for portraiture. Understanding the artistic groupings and the institutions they were reacting against is key to interpreting Dool’s work. Archival material from the period, statements by the artist, and contemporary art criticism can illuminate the social and artistic context that shaped Dool’s artistic choices and reveal the public role of art as a challenge to the status quo.