Gerard Prent (born 25 December 1954 in

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

) is a contemporary Dutch painter.

Life and work

Gerard Prent had his art education in Amsterdam at the

Rietveld Academy The Gerrit Rietveld Academie, also known as Rietveld School of Art & Design and Rietveld Academy, is an art academy in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The academy was founded in 1924 and offers programs in fine arts and design. History In 1924, the I ...

(1973–1978) and the

Rijksakademie The Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten (State Academy of Fine Arts) was founded in 1870 in Amsterdam. It is a classical academy, a place where philosophers, academics and artists meet to test and exchange ideas and knowledge. The school support ...

(1978–1980). His first canvases utilized large, lively colored fields, often set in divergent frames. From the very beginning of his career, he has shown a preference for large, square formats for his paintings. He was commissioned to create murals in the newly constructed government buildings in the Netherlands, such as the customs office in Vlissingen, the correctional facilities of Zwolle and Heerhugowaard, and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs in The Hague. Curriculum vitae (in Dutch), Galerie Maria Chailloux It was within these structures that his work developed in a more anecdotal and allegorical mode; while exploring various kinds of media, submerging the painting for the time being. After an attempt to move away from art, the muse, after having nearly throttled him, took hold of him and has not let go. His attempt to live outside of art in France was the catalyst for his discovery of the joy of painting through the simplicity of his subject and the emphasis on the transparency of his palette. Add he was looking for study material in the Amsterdam Zoo (Artis), the

sparrow Sparrow may refer to: Birds * Old World sparrows, family Passeridae * New World sparrows, family Passerellidae * two species in the Passerine family Estrildidae: ** Java sparrow ** Timor sparrow * Hedge sparrow, also known as the dunnock or hedg ...

forced itself upon him, as a free and everyday subject. The little bird ended up in the center of a square canvas, with the painter's experiment (or experience) happening in the large background of the painting. The sparrow continues unmoved by the surrounding landscape, becoming mythic in its serenity and through the use of reproduction. Gerard Prent created a large series of “Mussen” (Sparrows in Dutch), of which many paintings found their way to collectors and admirers. The simplicity of the subject has remained: from 2004 onwards Prent continues to paint just a simple corner in the garden, or a spot on the side of the road, with large strokes and exuberant colours and shapes. According to Gerard Prent, it is not the subject that matters, but the image, the creation of pure art.

Prizes

* 1979: Willem F.C. Uriotprice, painting * 1979: Silver medal ''Dutch Prix de Rome painting category'' * 1984: Titia Buning-Bongers price

References

External links

Gerard Prent .nlReview by Rob Perree
{{DEFAULTSORT:Prent, Gerard 1954 births Living people Dutch painters Dutch male painters Painters from Amsterdam