Description

Abstract piece, oil on canvas, by Pieter van Goudzwaard.

Dimensions (h x w): 97cm x 102cm

About the artist:

Pieter van Goudzwaard alias Peter van Gold Sword (1929-1983)

Considered part of the New School of The Hague, Goudzwaard is one of the most important Netherlands abstract expressionist artists from the Roaring 60’s.
The Collection Hopster Gold Sword foundation was created in 1997
Following an initial funding project with the Rabobank the collection was left without financing when talks collapsed.
He was a member of the Pulchri Studio, an elite artist run gallery set up in 1847 hosting 50 exhibitions per year.
He exhibited here amongst other venues like the Salon of the Hague, Mensa Delft, Venster Rotterdam, Bodega the Posthoorn, Pier Scheveningen.
His works can be found in collections in Belgium, France, Germany, Canada and the USA.
Had he been of American origin he would surely have had the international recognition like James Pollock and Colleagues.

A Colourful character, in 1969 he burnt his favourite painting in protest of the 1-living conditions in the cities & 2- the cultural neglect in the Netherlands. see Leidsche courant (newspaper 5/6/69)
How ironic that he has been neglected by the Netherlands as one of the most important artists of the 1960s and 1970s.

In an interview at the time, he discusses how a few of his works sold well because they were desired in the market by some crazy investors that saw a future profit in his works. The other hundreds had to be sold by criticism (remember abstract art was shocking to the majority of the population). He said at the time, “I just sold a few works to the Government for 2000 Guilders and they will hang them in stately houses and useful buildings.”

The question remains, “when” not “if” the Dutch step in to protect the collection from leaving the country given its important cultural heritage.