Zadkine by the Sea
Who isn’t familiar with that bronze figure in Rotterdam with a hole in his body? Sometimes he is called ‘Holey Jan’ or ‘Jan with the hands.’ The sculpture is actually called De Verwoeste Stad (The destroyed city) and is considered worldwide as one of the most successful monuments for victims of the Second World War. Its fame is even so great that many people also know the name of the maker: Zadkine. That is special for a sculpture in the public space. But who was Zadkine? And what else did he make? The ‘Zadkine by the Sea’ exhibition provides a comprehensive overview of the oeuvre of this Parisian master of modernism who, together with fellow artists like Picasso, Brancusi and Lipchitz, changed the face of Western sculpture definitively. Special attention is paid to Zadkine’s intimate connection with the Netherlands, where his collectors and clients were often also his friends.