Composition no. 62

In September 1913, Jacoba van Heemskerck was invited to take part in the “Erste Deutsche Herbstsalon" (‘First German Autumn Salon’). The event was organised by Herwarth Walden, publisher of Expressionist journal Der Sturm. From then on, the artist would remain in touch with Walden and her work would evolve from a brand of nature-based Cubism to more colourful images expressing spiritual experience. Nevertheless, she continued to produce fairly frequent paintings with recognisable subjects. Bild no. 62 is one example. The work was shown in March 1917 at the 50th Sturm exhibition in Berlin. It is an apocalyptic image in which onion-domed towers represent both the divine origins of life and a possible future for the inner being (here symbolised by the sailing ships) after overcoming the adversity of the present.

Source: A.H. Huussen jr. and J.F.A. van Paaschen-Louwerse, Jacoba van Heemskerck van Beest 1876-1923. Schilderes uit roeping, Zwolle 2005