Lot 162: Lizzy Ansingh (Dutch, 1875-1959)

Het kind: on a carps back
signed 'L. Ansingh' (centre right)
oil on canvas
127 x 91.5 cm.

Amsterdam, Arti et Amicitiae, 100 jaar Schwartze, September 1915, cat.no. 105.
The Hague, Kunstzaal Kleykamp,Lizzy Ansingh, 1916, cat.no. 3.
Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum, Regeeringsjubileum 1923 (1898-1923); Tentoonstelling van Nederlandsche Beeldende Kunsten, 1923.
Amsterdam, Arti et Amicitiae, Lizzy Ansingh, March 1931, no. 11.

Albertine Draayer-de Haas, Lizzy Ansingh, in: Onze Kunst, Volume XXVII, June 1915, pp. 145-156.
M. Viola, Lizzy Ansingh, Elseviers Geïllustreerd Maandschrift, Volume IIV, 1917, pp. 401-409.

Mr W.F. van Heukelom, Amsterdam, year unknown.

PROPERTY OF A DISTINGUISHED LADY

On the 22nd of December 1914 Lizzy Ansingh wrote in a letter to her friend, the art critic Albert Plasschaert: "Het rode kind is nu af en fantastisch toegetakeld en houdt een vlinder aan een touwtje; ik ontmoette een vlinderbezittend jonkman. De staart van de vis heeft me veel hoofdbreken gekost. Naar boven - naar beneden - naar rechts - naar links - was hij eerst krachtiger of nu?" (see: letter from Lizzy Ansingh to Albert Plasschaert, 22 December 1914 (recorded in the archives of the RKD, The Hague)). The painting Lizzy Ansingh mentioned in this letter is known as Het Kind and is one of the larger paintings with an allegoric nature painted between 1910 and 1920. The work from this period is generally acclaimed to be the artists finest.

As early as 1915 the present lot was exhibited at Arti et Amicitiae in Amsterdam. The exhibition was organized in honour of Lizzy's grandfather, the painter Johan George Schwartze (1815-1875). The present lot was surrounded not only by works by Lizzy's grandfather, but also by portraits painted by her aunt Thérèse Schwartze (1851-1918). Thérèse played an important part in the artistic and personal development of Ansingh, she was her foster mother, friend and artistic sister. Another important work exhibited at Arti was Lizzy's work Verstoten currently in the collection of the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam (inv.no. A21917).

In 1916 the painting was shown at Kunstzaal Kleykamp in The Hague, where it once again was among other great works by her hand. In the exhibition catalogue, the Oriental atmosphere of Ansingh's paintings is pointed out. This atmosphere is not only achieved by stylistic elements borrowed from Japanese pictures, like the flatness and decorative use of organic forms, but also by the doll 'Piepje' who figured in many of Lizzy's works.

Lizzy Ansingh was famous for painting dolls and was the proud owner of a dollhouse. The rooms and the inhabitants of this dollhouse, taking up a prominent place in her studio, were an unmistakable inspiration for her. She chose not to depict these dolls as if they were objects. Lizzy Ansigh brought her dolls to life and showcased them in her painted plays. These paintings are a unique genre within the Dutch history of art.
Besides dollshouse dolls, Lizzy Ansigh also owned different kinds of larger dolls such as Wajang dolls and some 18th century marquis dolls. However 'Piepje' was clearly her favorite. She refered to him as one of her essential models during an interview in 1957. This 19th Century doll originates from Japan and could be one of the silent ambassadors, the so-called 'Yamato Ningo'. These dolls were tokens of friendship given to foreign children by the Japanese youth.
It is not known how Lizzy Ansingh acquired 'Piepje' and where its name came from, but quite clearly the doll was her most beloved and actually seems to have been her alter-ego. 'Piepje' is depicted in numerous works. He plays the part of Glutonny in De zeven hoofd zonden from 1914 (Dordrechts Museum, Dordrecht inv. DM 914 14), warms himself by an oil lamp in De Vlam from 1937 (Singer Museum, Laren inv.no. 56-1-115) and crawls out of his cocoon in Ontwaakt from 1915 which was sold in these rooms on the 21st of april 2004 (lot 158).
In Het kind, 'Piepje' is sitting on a red carp, swimming against the stream. On both sides of the wild waves we see steep rockwalls. In 1915 Lizzy says the following about the picture: "Onbedacht en onbezorgd vliegt het kind de ontzettende, geduchte wereld in: kan verdrinken of tegen de rotsen te pletter worden geslagen, maar weet het niet en is daarom aandoenlijk in zijn vrolijkheid" (see: Albertine Draayer-de Haas, Lizzy Ansingh, Onze Kunst, Volume XXVII, June 1915, pp. 145-146).

The figure could be compared to the so-called 'Benkei', a Japanese mythological hero with supernatural powers who supposedly had fought off a giant carp. The carp has always symbolised power, courage and determination in Japanese culture. Possibly this painting depicted Lizzy's own strength, courage and willpower characteristic for her alternative attitude towards art and contemporary life.

We wish to thank Esther Dieltjes, co-author of Lizzy Ansingh (1875-1959); De poppenschilderijen van een Amsterdamse Joffer, Warnsveld 2005, for preparing this catalogue entry.

Christie's charge a premium to the buyer on the final bid price of each lot sold at the following rates: 23.8% of the final bid price of each lot sold up to and including €150,000 and 14.28% of any amount in excess of €150,000. Buyers' premium is calculated on the basis of each lot individually.