Artwork Data

Title

Twee vrouwen met parasol

Artist

Bram Roth

Year

1962

Material

Kalksteen

Dimensions

h. 254 cm

Partial collection

Intro Westbroekpark

Artwork Location

Address

Westbroekpark, Den Haag

City district

Scheveningen

GPS data

52.10537319184, 4.2886511781866 View on map

Artwork Description

Text

His work is rarely as stylised as 'Two women with parasol'. Trained by Bon Ingen Housz (1881-1953) and Albert Termote (1887-1978), sculptor Bram Roth emerged from a school that advocated a naturalistic representation of reality. Roth's figurative, romantic style makes it clear that he went along with this, but not in a rigid way. For his sculpture in Westbroek Park, he may have had a slant on the avant-garde Cubism of the early 20th century.

Two women with a parasol' is composed of large geometric volumes. The volumes are based on the rectangle, the square, the triangle and the circle. By using such forms, Roth achieved a certain tension. At the same time, the image is strongly symmetrical. The ladies are dressed identically, sitting in the same pose, sharing their love for the little dog. Furthermore, there is a clear horizontal tripartite division: the legs at the bottom, the torsos in the middle and the heads under the parasol at the top. Symmetry and layering create peace and balance.

But the image is by no means monotonous. The way the long skirts fall down accentuates the different leg positions: one person's feet are apart, the other against each other. Although the front attracts attention, the back of the sculpture is also interesting. The bench on which the women are sitting turns out to be beautifully elaborated and the woman on the right lovingly holds her arm on the back of her companion. Finally, the skin of the limestone sculpture is unpolished. The countless scratches, pits and bumps create a twinkling play of light and shadow.
In 'Two Women with a Parasol', Roth brought crystal-clear what occupied him as a sculptor: spaciousness, volume, tension and expression of the skin.

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