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Henk Helmantel, a master of still lifes

Henk Helmantel (1945) is a true master of the fine arts and is generally seen as one of the most important figures within the movement of Contemporary Realism. His famous still lifes are admired by the viewer for their air of quiet serenity. Less well known is the fact that he paints magnificent church interiors and can sometimes be persuaded to depict a rare landscape. Even a couple of self-portraits can be found in his oeuvre. Helmantel uses a set of sober colours such as grey, green and blue. Specific details are emphasized with the use of more vivid hues. The artist finds inspiration in the works of his Dutch Golden Age predecessors. The dramatic highlights used by Rembrandt van Rijn are to be found in Helmantels paintings. And the soft and balanced nuance of colours are an homage to Johannes Vermeer.

Vision: (extra)ordinary beauty

Real beauty can be found all around us, according to Henk Helmantel. Even in the objects of everyday life: a round, shiny plum or the deep red of an apple. Beauty can be seen in an old wooden table that has seen years of use, or in the faded green of an old glass bottle. Helmantel’s work is a quiet contemplation on the serenity of creation. With his artworks, Helmantel invites the viewer to re-examine one’s surroundings in search of this everyday beauty.

Techniques

Helmantel’s paintings are all about finding and combining the right objects. Even the plainest will do: a round piece of bread, a bottle in a vivid green shade or an ancient metal pitcher. These paraphernalia are arranged with the utmost care on a table by the window. The most important factor now to be decided upon is the composition of the objects. A balanced composition consists of (at least) one horizontal, one vertical and, one diagonal line. These lines together must form a balanced whole. The artist places and replaces objects until he is satisfied with the arrangement. Only then is he ready to start working on the actual paintings. He starts with a drawing directly on the panel, after which he picks up his brush. With each thin layer of oil paint, the image gains clarity, detail and depth of colour. The objects gain solidity and substance. The final phase is for crossing the t’s and dotting the i’s: the amount of light is adjusted, the last details are filled in.

Exhibitions

A large collection of paintings by Henk Helmantel is for sale at Collection Harms. In addition, Helmantel’s oeuvre has been shown in several leading museums, amongst which the Drents Museum and the Groninger Museum. His works can be found all over the globe: they have can be found in Germany, Switzerland, Taiwan and the U.S., amongst many other countries.

To be featured in 2018

2018 will be an exciting year for connoisseurs of Helmantel’s oeuvre. His works will be exhibited at three important museums, both in the Netherlands and abroad:

Solo exhibition of Henk Helmantel in the Chimei Museum, Taiwan
Group exhibition in Museum MORE, Gorssel. The paintings by Henk Helmantel will be placed in a larger context of modern Realism and will be featured in combination with work by Dick Ket and Jan Mankes
Exhibition on Henk Helmantel in Museum Gouda.

Participant

Nederlands / English / 中文

Henk Helmantel

Helmantel film
Vier drinkglazen uit de zeventiende eeuw en rozenbottels

Oil on panel
80 x 122 cm - 2020
Price on request
Still Life with Boxes

Oil on panel
104 x 120 cm - 1998
Price on request
Henk Helmantel Stilleven met rode trommel en knoflook

Oil on panel
85 x 92 - 2021
Price on request
Stilleven met bronzen ketel en Romeins glas

Oil on panel
80 x 117 cm - 2016
Price on request
Stilleven met kweeappels en fles

Oil on panel
80 x 122 cm - 2021
Price on request
Stilleven met sierkalebassen

Oil on panel
70 x 93 cm - 1994
Price on request
Stilleven met Romeins aardewerk

Oil on panel
80 x 117 cm - 2016
Price on request

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