Today, Jan Sluijters (1881-1957) is considered to be one of the pioneering figures in the development of Modernism in the Netherlands. Throughout his life, he experimented with numerous styles. Ironically, his modern career took off when he was awarded the Prix de Rome based on a traditional biblical scene. Understandably, the jury members were very disgruntled to find out that he used the money to travel to France where he changed his style radically. It was in the City of Light that the relatively new phenomenon of electric lights (rather than gas lamps) around the turn of the century inspired Sluijters to develop works in an ultra-modern style, Dutch Luminism. The big city nightlife and French Fauvism were the main influences on this style, which is characterized by splashes of color, as we can see in this exuberant work, Bal Tabarin (1906).
Bal Tabarin in Paris’ Montmartre was the place to be for the young and hip. The nightclub featured costumed balls and can-can dancing by showgirls, which was all the more dazzling due to the fact that people were unaccustomed to the color effects of electric lights. The mesmerizing, almost psychedelic atmosphere as caught by Sluijters abhorred the Prix de Rome committee: in their eyes, this painting of the Bal Tabarin expressed a loathing of beauty and mockery of technique. As a result, they decided to end his yearly allowance.
His unorthodox work was also sharply criticized by the Dutch press. Nonetheless, a number of Dutch painters welcomed this new current. Upon his return to the Netherlands, Sluijters applied the bright colors of the Parisian nightlife to his representation of landscapes. The same tendency can be seen in nature scenes by other Luminists, like Leo Gestel and Piet Mondriaan.
I’m hoping that this festive painting by Jan Sluijters will put you in the right mood for tonight’s celebrations. From all of us at The World According to Art: HAPPY NEW YEAR!
(Text: Pauline Dorhout)
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