Artwork Data
Artwork Location
Address
Elandplein, Den Haag
City district
Centrum
GPS data
52.079590801461, 4.2940744129669 View on map
Artwork Description
Text
In April 2014, Elandplein was given a makeover. Trees were moved and benches placed. The square had to become more attractive for local residents and could serve as a meeting point for the neighbourhood to drink a cup of coffee together or enjoy the sun. At first, the intention was to place a statue of the Virgin Mary from the church opposite in the square, but the church council eventually decided against it. Then the municipality contacted the arts centre Stroom Den Haag. In consultation with them, 'The Man' by Jan Goeting was selected.
At that time, Goetings sculpture was in the Zuiderpark. The sculpture had ended up there in 1995. After the park's renovation that year, works of art that were no longer appreciated elsewhere in the city due to changes in their surroundings were given a second life. Goeting had originally made this sculpture for the new building of the2e 's-Gravenhaagsche Vakschool voor Meisjes, which was built at 11 Assumburgweg in 1972.
In the summer of 2014, Goetings sculpture moved again. This time to the Elandplein. There it blends seamlessly with its surroundings. Its format matches that of the square and the surrounding buildings. What's more, it has no back, which makes it attractive from all sides. Moreover, it is just as colourful as the residents of this neighbourhood.
The Man' is one of Goeting's later and freestanding sculptures, who after the Second World War mainly produced commissioned mosaics and stone reliefs. Often together with his wife Catharina Goeting-Stultiëns. His style is somewhere between abstract and recognisable. With a little good will, you can still discover a man in this sculpture. Just like the many monumental commissions he has previously made all over the country, this sculpture is made of colourful ceramic components.