Silhouette (2018) is a painting inspired by a silhouette picture of my great-grandfather, Levie Hartog Lever (1874-1943), created in the 1920’s.
This image is a family treasure, along with other photographs of life before the war. My grandmother, Betty, was the only member of her immediate family to survive the Holocaust.
It is for this reason that these photographs represent an important link with the past. Although there were passport photos from different years, there was no single image of the family together.
It was this that inspired my painting, Family (2014), which also features a portrait of my great-grandfather in black and white. Tragically, along with many other family members, he was gassed at Auschwitz.
Technique
Prior to the war, Levie had worked in the diamond business before becoming a shopkeeper. He owned two businesses selling electrical goods in Utrecht.
In his spare time, my great-grandfather was also politically active and enjoyed reading. My grandmother shared his love of classical music and the two would frequent concerts together.
She always said her father was very cultured and easy to get along with. There are only three actual photos of him in existence, but this image is the fourth and most artistic.
It is rare to see a silhouette picture these days. Yet, I have always loved this style of portrait. This original image was created by hand around 100 years ago using black cardboard.
The simplicity of the design is eye catching. It inspired me to reproduce it as a painting. I wanted my piece to have the same visual impact as the original. I kept both my palette and the composition uncomplicated, for maximal effect.
Silhouette (2018) is a one of a kind work that combines old world aesthetics in a completely different medium. The result is an unusual painting that shines a light on the beauty and effectiveness of the shadow as an art form.