Jan Spiering, 1937-1994

Jan Antonie Spiering (1937-1994): This Dutch sculptor never led the fashion in the artistic avant-garde. Having begun his career as a modest academic in the Rijksakademie tradition, the talented traditionalist gradually made his mark on the national psyche however and its sculptural subconscious during his short life. Through distinct themes in a modest collection of work, such as The Prodigal Son, the Ballplayers, the Wagtails and the Shepherd, Spiering reveals a sense of the contemporary in his very real sculpture. A reclusive type, who sought to provide for his family from his commissions, his attempts to ply an honest trade were not always easy. In 1965, Jan Spiering won the Prix de Rome with The Flight. Although this was the height of the swinging sixties, the young sculptor's first most notable work until then had been The Prodigal Son inspired by the awkward return home of his father after the war. The biblical title reflects the artist's moral outlook, but was also a far cry from the wild ideological combat taking place in many artist circles. Exhibition: Museum Beelden aan Zee, Scheveningen, The Netherlands (12.01.-18.02.2018).