11039

Preparatory work

Taco and Henriette van den Honert children 1905

Seated full-length on a day bed, reading a book together, the boy on the left wearing a sailor suit and holding a toy horse, the girl in a white dress and black stockings, holding the book

Oil on board, 40 x 31.5 cm (16 x 12 ½ in.)

Inscribed lower right: László F E / Laren / Jan 1905 [incised]

Studio Inventory, p. 74 (395): Study of the van Honert Children

Private Collection

This oil sketch was made in preparation for a formal double portrait of brother and sister Taco Hajo and Henriette Cornelia van den Honert [10133].  One pencil sketch has also been recorded [7402]. Such was the artist’s facility in his craft that he usually composed his paintings by making a number of pencil drawings. It was only for his more important paintings that he made an oil sketch as well, of which this is an excellent example.

For biographical notes on the sitters, see [10133].

PROVENANCE:         

In the possession of the artist on his death

EXHIBITED:          

•Museum Van Loon, Amsterdam, De László in Holland, Dutch Masterpieces by Philip Alexius de László (1869-1937), 3 March-5 June 2006, no. 13    

LITERATURE:         

•Grever, Tonko and Annemieke Heuft (Sandra de Laszlo, British ed.), De László in Holland: Dutch Masterpieces by Philip Alexius de László (1869-1937), Paul Holberton publishing, London, 2006, pp. 28, 41, 45-47, 54, ill. no. 13

CWS 2006