Dutch Still Life Lithograph, 1958

Wim motz -- “untitled (still life with crab and wine bottle)” -- c.1958 -- lithograph -- unsigned -- 590 × 455 mm ---- a large graphic hand-made print in vibrant colour, produced directly on the stone by an renowned dutch artist. ---- wim motz (1900–77) was enormously productive. His artistic journey led him from impressionism to expressionism, from figuration to pure abstraction, and back again to recognisable reality. He only started his career as an artist at the age of 37 after taking drawing lessons with jan van straten who inspired him with a passion for self-expression. This first resulted in straightforward figurative scenes and he was soon exhibiting, becoming part of ‘the four rotterdammers’ between 1954-58. Thereafter he switched dramatically to abstraction, devoting himself entirely to line and colour, both in paintings and, increasingly, in graphic works. His adherence to the principles of de stael led to a passionate engagement with working directly on to the lithographic stone. The mid-1960s saw a return to figuration, with him announcing ‘i have again developed a longing for recognisable shapes... I want to meet the viewer.’.