Random Inspiration: Henk Helmantel (b. 1945) Part I

Several months ago, I was contacted by an art lover from the Netherlands by the name of Fabio Pravisani. Fabio had been familiarizing himself with the current trends in the American Realist Art Movement, and he discovered the Underpaintings blog, which helped him to learn about artists such as Jeremy Lipking and Michael Klein. He was thankful for what he discovered, and wondered if I, in return, might be interested in the Realist artists of his home country, of which he is justifiably proud.

Fabio sent me links to artists and galleries specializing in Realist art, told me about art fairs dedicated to Realism, and began an astute comparison delineating the differences between the Realist work of our two countries. I was really blown away. As I began following his links, I just began to get lost, jumping from site to site, enjoying the artwork, and trying my best to decipher what I was reading (though my mother was from Eindhoven, neither I nor my siblings speak Dutch- the school system dissuaded my mother from teaching a second language to her children in the 1960s, much to all of our regret).

Being so well-versed in the artists of his country, and being so passionate about the subject of Dutch Realism, Fabio seemed a better choice than I to present the topic, so I asked him if he would be willing to write the post as a guest to the blog. He consented, and below is his welcome contribution about Henk Helmantel, the father of contemporary Netherlandish Realism, and the artist who is probably best known outside his country for this particular genre.

My deepest appreciation goes to Fabio Pravisani for taking the time from his busy schedule to write this post. I added a few elements of my own after reading some interviews with Helmantel, but the majority of the structure is Fabio's: I had the easy part, I only had to put up the pictures! Thanks again, Fabio!

Henk Helmantel (1945), is one of today's most popular and successful realist painters from the Netherlands. He lives in the small village of Westeremden, in a medieval, pastoral farm called "De Weem," which he himself recently helped to reconstruct after its initial demolition in 1912. Not only does Helmantel keep his studio there, he also hosts a public museum in a refurbished barn on the property which contains paintings for which he has a special attachment, and which he has no plans to ever sell.

Since an early age, Helmantel has felt an insistent urge to draw and paint. His training began at the age of fourteen, when he started copying works of Rembrandt from black and white photographs, and continued later when he studied at the Minerva Academy in Groningen from 1961 to 1965. Though Helmantel's interest in realism made him an oddity at the Minerva Academy during those years of study, he still had the freedom to pursue a classical education in traditional painting. Others may have been tempted to change their focus during those years of aesthetic revolution, but the young Helmantel, relying on the lessons of hard work and Christian faith taught by his parents, remained true to his artistic goals.

Self-portrait by Helmantel

Rembrandt was and continues to be an influence on Helmantel's work in the way in which he makes use of light, though he doesn't try to copy the great master's style. Mentally, Helmantel is more drawn to a painter like Vermeer, who was less dramatic than Rembrandt, but whose painting solutions were filled with a "clarity of composition." Other artists who had an impact on Helmantel's work include such Dutch painters as Dick Ket, Floris Verster, and Jan Mankes.

Helmantel began his career by making landscapes, portraits, and flower pieces, painted quite loosely and somewhat impressionistically. He also painted more highly rendered pieces, including church interiors and elaborate still lifes, during this time. After realizing that these more realistic images were the subjects in which his talent excelled, Helmantel decided to make these his area of expertise. As Helmantel says, "One should know one's limitations and do the things one is best at."

[continued]