Articles
Ceramic butter dish by Ernst Van Leyden * representing a bird (probably a swan) dated 1952, vintage twentieth century.
This butter dish is in good condition, in its own juice.
Directed by Ernst Van Leyden for his family hence the presence of the names of his wife (Karin) and his son (Ragnar), in his Brenthood studio in California. Dated 1952 inside and below.
A note: breakage and lacks on the lower part, the other handle was glued, light enamelling defects, wear of time, see photos
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Painter of Dutch origin. Until 1914 he studied at the Academies of Fine Arts in Rotterdam, Brussels, Berlin and London. First of all close to expressionism, he did not realize his first abstract work until 1948. From his three studios in Los Angeles, Venice and Paris, he led a life of incessant travel and friendly encounters with celebrities. of his time: Chaplin, Stravinski, Brecht, Dali, Picasso ... His travels in Vallauris inspired him later to work as a ceramist. His work is recognized and bought by the greatest museums in the world. In the 1950s, he practiced large format collage in the same spirit as Jasper Johns or Rauschenberg, and applied to "reveal the secret life" of the materials he uses.
Born in Germany, Karin studied at the "Kölner Werkschule" in Cologne where she was taught by R. Seewald and J. Thorn Prikker. Married to Ernst van Leyden with whom she has lived and worked in France, Portugal, Great Britain, Italy, New York, Hollywood and Mexico. The couple will also travel a lot to Egypt, Syria and Lebanon. They also spent a lot of time at the Ernst Paris studio and in their home on the Loosdrecht Lake in Holland. With Ernst, Karin met several of her contemporaries, for example Marc Chagall, Jules Pascin, Ossip Zadkine and Francis Picabia. She exhibited at the Georges Bernheim Gallery in 1929. In 1932, after the birth of their son Ragnar, the young family moved to Rio do Milho in Portugal. In 1947, Karin and Ernst seek new inspiration and leave for an extended stay in Mexico, to immerse themselves in the ancient Mayan culture. In 1957, after their definitive return to Europe, and return trips between Paris and Venice, Ernst bought an abandoned farm outside Paris: Lieutel de L'Enclos. The location is too isolated for Karin, who can not paint landscapes. She prefers Italy, its life and exuberance. After 30 years of creative intimacy, the two artists take different paths. From 1953, she worked on oils on canvas then on collages. Karin van Leyden will eventually die in Lugano, Switzerland, in 1977.
