Dutch Modernism: Jan Sluijters
Portrait of a Dark-Skinned Woman with an Open Blouse (Portret van een donkere vrouw met openvallende blouse) (ca. 1920)
Oil on canvas
70 × 50 cm
Auctioned in 2023 at Zuydwal Veilingen

This expressive portrait remained in private hands for over a century. For decades, it hung in the living room of the owner’s parents, where it quietly shaped the atmosphere of the home and sparked countless conversations. The sitter’s slightly lifted gaze — calm, searching, almost luminous — gives the painting its emotional centre. The loosely draped pink robe, the soft fall of curls, and the warm skin tones create a moment of intimate presence, dignified and unforced. The earrings and open blouse suggest sensuality, yet the overall mood is contemplative rather than provocative.

Jan Sluijters, born on December 17, 1881, in ’s-Hertogenbosch, was one of the leading figures of Dutch modernism. After studying at the Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten in Amsterdam and winning the Prix de Rome in 1904, he travelled through Italy and Spain before arriving in Paris — the city that transformed his artistic vision. There he encountered Fauvism and the avant‑garde energy of the early 20th century, absorbing its bold colour and expressive freedom.

Throughout his career, Sluijters experimented with luminism, expressionism, and cubism, always returning to the human figure as a source of emotional and chromatic intensity. His portraits and nudes are known for their vivid brushwork and radiant colour, capturing moments of stillness within a swirl of painterly energy. He was particularly drawn to the play of light on skin and fabric — a sensuous dialogue that animates even his quietest compositions. In the 1910s and 1920s, he also broadened his range of models, occasionally portraying sitters of non‑European descent, as seen in this canvas. These works reveal a curiosity about the wider world and a willingness to move beyond the conventional portrait types of his time.

In 1910, Sluijters co‑founded the Moderne Kunstkring, a group that championed modern art in the Netherlands and introduced Dutch audiences to movements like Fauvism, Cubism, and Expressionism. His work helped open the door to international modernism while remaining rooted in a distinctly Dutch sensibility: bold yet tender, experimental yet grounded.

Painted around 1920, this portrait reflects that balance. The sitter is rendered with expressive colour and confident line, yet nothing feels staged. Her presence is quiet but unmistakable — a portrait of strength, individuality, and warmth. It is a testament to Sluijters’ ability to see his models not as types, but as people.

Jan Sluijters passed away on May 8, 1957, in Amsterdam, leaving behind a rich and varied legacy.