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Johan Polet
Reclining Female Nude, 1934
Sculptor Johan Polet (1894-1971) abandoned Expressionism around 1930 and embraced the internationally emerging Neoclassical trends. The ancient Greek and Roman visual language was once again chosen as the point of departure. The result can be seen in this reclining nude from 1934.
The bronze femal
...
e figure rests on an uneven base. Her simple yet graceful pose is reminiscent of Romans who reclined to dine. Polet finished the sculpture with great attention to detail. His earlier Expressionism can be recognized in the tension of the lines and proportions; the bulging belly deserves special attention.
Polet learned the trade from his father (stonemason) Dirk Polet and later in the workshop of the Quellinus School and the Kunstnijverheidsschool in Amsterdam. Between 1919 and 1926, he taught sculpture at the Haarlem School of Arts and Crafts, succeeding Hildo Krop (1884-1970). He introduced a new working method by carving directly into the stone, instead of working with plaster and clay models. Particularly between 1920 and 1935, Polet was often mentioned in the same breath as John Raedecker (1885-1956) and Krop, at the time the most important sculptors in the Netherlands.
Text: Boris Ariaens, guide and museum host
Artist
Johan Polet
Title
Reclining Female Nude
Year
1934
Technique
Bronze
Size
27 x 63 cm (h x w)
Type of object
Sculpture
Copyright
Uknown
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