Text

The stone sculpture of two relay runners, which Rudi Rooijackers was commissioned to make in 1956 for a school on Goudsbloemlaan, fits into the figurative tradition that initially dominated post-war monumental sculpture. In war memorials that arose all over the Netherlands and in other figurative sculptures made specially for public spaces, the focus was emphatically on the image of man and on the 'condition humaine': the state and condition of man.

The need to commemorate war victims resulted in a stream of images in which dramatic expression was the determining factor. Besides the view of the suffering man, attention was also paid to the new world that was to arise on the ruins of the old. The positive attitude of the reconstruction resulted in many figurative images in which people energetically and vitally face the future.

The image of the two relay runners also fits into this category. The athletes are fully focused on delivering a top performance. The torch is passed on and taken over. The athletes are absorbed in their dynamic and passionate goal. The sculpture reflects the spirit of the 1950s and was conceived and executed in accordance with the figurative tradition of the time.

As a teacher at the Vrije Academie, Rooijackers stood at the cradle of a new generation of sculptors from The Hague, including Phil van de Klundert and Dick Loef. The sculpture of the relay runners shows that he is people-oriented with a holy belief in progress. The sculptor's attitude is one of service, as was customary in his day when monumental sculptures were made to radiate faith in the future and to elevate people. The passing of the torch is not only a sporting act but also a symbolic gesture. The stylised figures are the first tentative signs of the transition to more abstract sculpture.