Compositie, 1974 Hans Van Rossem, Dutch

Hans van Rossen  (born 1933) was a Dutch painter who lived and worked in Eemnes, in the province of Utrecht.

Little biographical information about Van Rossem appears to have survived in readily accessible records, but a small number of documented works reveal a painter working between landscape, figuration and abstraction during the post-war period.

Known works include Compositie met figuur (1968), Compositie (1974), Futuristisch landschap (1975), Uitzicht op elementen and Woonwagens. In the latter, the recognisable forms of caravans are deliberately broken down and abstracted, an approach also evident in the heavily worked surface of Compositie.

Van Rossem was also a participant in the Netherlands' remarkable post-war system of support for professional artists. His 1974 painting Compositie carries an official label from the Dienst voor 's Rijks Verspreide Kunstvoorwerpen and the state inventory number SZ 85257, placing the work within the administrative system associated with the Beeldende Kunstenaarsregeling (BKR).

The BKR allowed professional artists who were unable to earn sufficient income from the commercial market to submit artworks in return for financial support. It ultimately resulted in an enormous collection of contemporary Dutch art administered by the state.

Van Rossem remains surprisingly little documented today, despite his work having entered this government collection. His surviving paintings show an artist particularly interested in the point at which a recognisable landscape or subject begins to dissolve into colour, form and paint.

Signed and dated 'Hans v Rossem '74' lower right. Official Dutch state collection/BKR-associated label verso. Inventory no. SZ 85257.

Oil on canvas.

Max Width - 63cm / 25”

Max Height - 73cm / 28.5”

The canvas and heavily worked paint surface are in excellent, stable condition.

The original frame has historic wear, marks and traces of paint which are entirely in keeping with its age and which I would leave exactly as they are.