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Jan Mankes
Jug with Lunaria, a Heron’s Skull, and a Booklet, 1916
Jan Mankes (1889-1920) often opted for a sober depiction with one or a few objects. Here the light is subtly reflected on the glazed jug; the reflection of the heron’s skull on the black background (a table, a marble top?) gives the work depth. The seedpods of the Lunaria have a silky, silvery surfa
...
ce with a soft shine.
Mankes liked to paint subjects from nature. When he lived with his parents in De Knijpe (Friesland), he had a studio with a view of the surrounding meadows. He enjoyed walking in the area, and in the yard they kept various animals such as chickens and goats, which regularly became the subjects of his paintings.
His still lifes mainly feature plants and flowers, but also (animal) skulls, such as this heron’s skull. The choice of subject depended on which philosophical questions Mankes wished to raise; he found it important to express these issues in his work and thereby engage his viewers.
Text: Evelien Verheij, collection coordinator
Artist
Jan Mankes
Title
Jug with Lunaria, a Heron’s Skull, and a Booklet
Year
1916
Technique
Oil on canvas
Size
31 x 26 cm (h x w)
Type of object
Painting
Copyright
Uknown
This work is free of known copyright claims. You may download, edit, copy or publish it without meeting certain conditions.
