Lucebert (1924-1994)
Untitled
signed and dated 'Lucebert '54' (lower right)
mixed media on paper, 41x51 cm
Provenance: Property from the estate of Louis van Gasteren.
Louis van Gasteren and Lucebert
‘De Kloof’, an old building and national heritage site on Kloveniersburgwal in Amsterdam, serves as a meeting space for artists, writers, and poets from the end of World War II until the mid-sixties. Until 1949, the writers duo Marga Minco and Bert Voeten, and also the writers Gerrit Kouwenaar and Remco Campert are the main occupants; an eclectic group of friends and guests stay there for shorter and longer periods as well. Among them is Louis van Gasteren, the son of a turbulent family whose members are active in theatre and opera. He initially resides in a room on the fifth floor in the attic. When Minco, Voeten and Kouwenaar move out, Van Gasteren went to live in the building permanently. From 1952, the house also included his film and sound studio, editing rooms and production office.
Louis van Gasteren (1922–2016) first becomes interested in film as a child. He becomes an electrician, through which he becomes involved in filmmaking. In the late ’50s, a period during which many artists live in great poverty, Van Gasteren meets Lucebert. Lucebert does not have permanent housing at the time and occasionally stays at De Kloof. Van Gasteren is impressed by the young painter and poet; they spend many evenings in each other’s company, and they stay in touch when Lucebert and his wife move to Bergen in North Holland around late 1953.
In 1954, Lucebert is meant to receive the Poetry Prize from the municipality of Amsterdam. To Van Gasteren, he writes that he will be ‘honoured, crowned, and certified’. Lucebert will attend dressed as an ancient emperor, his entourage dressed in colourful, courtly dress. They will be accompanied by a fanfare of trumpets and ‘showered with confetti and serpentine streamers’. Incidentally, Lucebert’s imperial attire will earn him the title ‘Emperor of Those of the Fifties’. He urges Van Gasteren to keep the plan secret. Van Gasteren arranged the costumes at the Amsterdam theatrical costume rental firm Serné and took photos of the dressed up company. When the big day arrives, the party sets out from De Kloof but does not make it beyond the museum hall, as it is considered a disturbance of the peace. The gathered establishment is shocked at the lavish display and the noise. Regardless, Lucebert later receives a telegram from the mayor, and the prize money is transferred to his account as promised.
In 1960, Van Gasteren is introduced to the director Federico Fellini at the premiere of La Dolce Vita in Amsterdam. Van Gasteren has plans for a film titled Miraló, for which he has secured the participation of the famous mime Marcel Marceau. Shortly after the premiere, Van Gasteren travels to Rome to invite Fellini to collaborate on Miraló. In addition to the film script, Marceau’s written agreement, and a letter of recommendation from the Ministry of Education, Arts and Sciences, Van Gasteren also brings a gift for Fellini: a framed drawing by Lucebert. Miraló was never realised; Fellini does not have the time, and Marcel Marceau has contractual obligations to fulfil.
Over time, Van Gasteren becomes a true all-rounder. He works as a visual artist, writer, and founder of Artec, the foundation for art and technology.
His motto: Do everything for the next film. His films are ahead of their time, and often address social issues. Omdat mijn fiets daar stond (Because My Bike Stood There) includes images of police brutality against protesters. The film also leads to the resignation of the mayor of Amsterdam, Van Hall. Begrijp je nu waarom ik huil (Now do you get it why I am crying?), shows the ‘LSD professor’, Jan Bastiaans, who works with traumatised survivors of World War II.
From the estate of Louis van Gasteren, four early gouaches and a drawing by Lucebert are included in this auction (lots 75–78 and 710). Also on offer are a gouache by Eugène Brands (lot 79) and a ‘Peinture Criminelle’ by Armando from 1956 (lot 80).
The online-only auction features paintings and gouaches by Van Gasteren’s friend Jan Sierhuis (lots 702–705) as well as a collection of works by the Israeli artist Ygael Tumarkin (lots 707–709), including an album comprising 36 gouaches and drawings with designs for decors and costumes for the film Miraló.
(Literature: Jan Willem Regenhardt, ‘Louis van Gasteren. Seismograaf van onze tijd’, Uitgeverij Boom, 2019)
For this artist resale right is applicable from €2400 hammer price onwards
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Estimate
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Untitled
signed and dated 'Lucebert '54' (lower right)
mixed media on paper, 41x51 cm
Provenance: Property from the estate of Louis van Gasteren.
Louis van Gasteren and Lucebert
‘De Kloof’, an old building and national heritage site on Kloveniersburgwal in Amsterdam, serves as a meeting space for artists, writers, and poets from the end of World War II until the mid-sixties. Until 1949, the writers duo Marga Minco and Bert Voeten, and also the writers Gerrit Kouwenaar and Remco Campert are the main occupants; an eclectic group of friends and guests stay there for shorter and longer periods as well. Among them is Louis van Gasteren, the son of a turbulent family whose members are active in theatre and opera. He initially resides in a room on the fifth floor in the attic. When Minco, Voeten and Kouwenaar move out, Van Gasteren went to live in the building permanently. From 1952, the house also included his film and sound studio, editing rooms and production office.
Louis van Gasteren (1922–2016) first becomes interested in film as a child. He becomes an electrician, through which he becomes involved in filmmaking. In the late ’50s, a period during which many artists live in great poverty, Van Gasteren meets Lucebert. Lucebert does not have permanent housing at the time and occasionally stays at De Kloof. Van Gasteren is impressed by the young painter and poet; they spend many evenings in each other’s company, and they stay in touch when Lucebert and his wife move to Bergen in North Holland around late 1953.
In 1954, Lucebert is meant to receive the Poetry Prize from the municipality of Amsterdam. To Van Gasteren, he writes that he will be ‘honoured, crowned, and certified’. Lucebert will attend dressed as an ancient emperor, his entourage dressed in colourful, courtly dress. They will be accompanied by a fanfare of trumpets and ‘showered with confetti and serpentine streamers’. Incidentally, Lucebert’s imperial attire will earn him the title ‘Emperor of Those of the Fifties’. He urges Van Gasteren to keep the plan secret. Van Gasteren arranged the costumes at the Amsterdam theatrical costume rental firm Serné and took photos of the dressed up company. When the big day arrives, the party sets out from De Kloof but does not make it beyond the museum hall, as it is considered a disturbance of the peace. The gathered establishment is shocked at the lavish display and the noise. Regardless, Lucebert later receives a telegram from the mayor, and the prize money is transferred to his account as promised.
In 1960, Van Gasteren is introduced to the director Federico Fellini at the premiere of La Dolce Vita in Amsterdam. Van Gasteren has plans for a film titled Miraló, for which he has secured the participation of the famous mime Marcel Marceau. Shortly after the premiere, Van Gasteren travels to Rome to invite Fellini to collaborate on Miraló. In addition to the film script, Marceau’s written agreement, and a letter of recommendation from the Ministry of Education, Arts and Sciences, Van Gasteren also brings a gift for Fellini: a framed drawing by Lucebert. Miraló was never realised; Fellini does not have the time, and Marcel Marceau has contractual obligations to fulfil.
Over time, Van Gasteren becomes a true all-rounder. He works as a visual artist, writer, and founder of Artec, the foundation for art and technology.
His motto: Do everything for the next film. His films are ahead of their time, and often address social issues. Omdat mijn fiets daar stond (Because My Bike Stood There) includes images of police brutality against protesters. The film also leads to the resignation of the mayor of Amsterdam, Van Hall. Begrijp je nu waarom ik huil (Now do you get it why I am crying?), shows the ‘LSD professor’, Jan Bastiaans, who works with traumatised survivors of World War II.
From the estate of Louis van Gasteren, four early gouaches and a drawing by Lucebert are included in this auction (lots 75–78 and 710). Also on offer are a gouache by Eugène Brands (lot 79) and a ‘Peinture Criminelle’ by Armando from 1956 (lot 80).
The online-only auction features paintings and gouaches by Van Gasteren’s friend Jan Sierhuis (lots 702–705) as well as a collection of works by the Israeli artist Ygael Tumarkin (lots 707–709), including an album comprising 36 gouaches and drawings with designs for decors and costumes for the film Miraló.
(Literature: Jan Willem Regenhardt, ‘Louis van Gasteren. Seismograaf van onze tijd’, Uitgeverij Boom, 2019)
For this artist resale right is applicable from €2400 hammer price onwards
Sale price
Estimate
Time, Location
Auction House
