Artwork Data

Title

Doosvrucht

Artist

Rein Draijer

Year

1980

Material

Brons

Dimensions

doorsnede 35 cm

Artwork Location

Address

Javastraat, Den Haag

City district

Centrum

GPS data

52.0881032, 4.3115234 View on map

Artwork Description

Text

With a diameter of only 35 centimetres, Rein Draijer's bronze sculpture 'Doosvrucht' is not large. Yet this sculpture in the Repelaer bushes near Javastraat underlines the fact that monumentality has nothing to do with size. The artist completed the bronze sculpture in 1978. Two years later it was placed in an open spot in the grove, where it still stands today.

The title 'box fruit' is somewhat misleading, because many people will immediately think of a square shape when they hear the word 'box', whereas this image is largely round. In botany, the word 'box fruit' (also called pod, haw or tube fruit) refers to a single, dry, popping open fruit, parts of which remain attached to the plant. Draijer's sculpture shows a cracked skin. A closer look at the sculpture reveals the 'intestines'. The flesh is neatly divided into equal parts by the partition to which it is attached.

The location of the sculpture suggests that the fruit fell from a tree and remained there. Other sculptures by Draijer, such as his truncated tree, also give the impression that they were conceived and made specifically for the spot where they have been placed. They feel at home there.

In his work, Draijer revealed a clear preference for abstracting reality without losing sight of recognisability. Despite its simplified form, the box fruit can be traced back to its natural origins. In addition, the artist is known to have had a strong preference for depicting plant and animal forms as a sculptor, while as a painter he concentrated mainly on landscapes, still lifes and portraits. In the field of applied art, he earned his spurs with posters and stamps.

Close