Joop Polder (The Hague 1939) trained at the Royal Academy in The Hague, The Royal Academy of Visual Arts in Brussels and the Academie des Beaux Arts in Paris. Joop Polder draws his inspiration from architecture and his own dreams. Joop Polder's paintings are soothing and quiet, a strong contrast to the stress of everyday life. In his early work, people were central, exhibitions had titles such as 'The women of Joop Polder', 'Protest against the war' and 'The men of Joop Polder'. His later tranquil paintings are filled with empty trains, trams and other abandoned toys and often include a sketchbook. There is also evidence of joie de vivre in every painting: a glass of wine and a chair from which the artist and the viewer view the world.
'However, Polder is a people person and has a busy social life. It is therefore not surprising that he evokes a Sunday afternoon rest on his canvases as compensation. A tranquil atmosphere at a warm hour of the day in an apparently extinct world.
Joop Polder's work is a mixture of realism, naturalism, romanticism and surrealism. Lonely stately trams drive through a city devoid of people. Stylish architecture from the 19th and early 20th centuries. In the distance the sea often serves as a background. The work radiates something unmistakably Hague. The paintings always reflect the bright light that is so characteristic of cities close to the sea. The light and the mysterious silence on Joop Polder's canvases have a stimulating effect on the imagination. His sometimes slightly alienated work is often compared to that of Paul Delveaux and the understated chic of The Hague by Herman Berserik.
Joop Polder's paintings are shown in the home gallery Voute and a select number of other galleries. You can also find works in the Gemeentemuseum in The Hague and in the private art collection of King Willem-Alexander and Princess Beatrix.
'However, Polder is a people person and has a busy social life. It is therefore not surprising that he evokes a Sunday afternoon rest on his canvases as compensation. A tranquil atmosphere at a warm hour of the day in an apparently extinct world.
Joop Polder's work is a mixture of realism, naturalism, romanticism and surrealism. Lonely stately trams drive through a city devoid of people. Stylish architecture from the 19th and early 20th centuries. In the distance the sea often serves as a background. The work radiates something unmistakably Hague. The paintings always reflect the bright light that is so characteristic of cities close to the sea. The light and the mysterious silence on Joop Polder's canvases have a stimulating effect on the imagination. His sometimes slightly alienated work is often compared to that of Paul Delveaux and the understated chic of The Hague by Herman Berserik.
Joop Polder's paintings are shown in the home gallery Voute and a select number of other galleries. You can also find works in the Gemeentemuseum in The Hague and in the private art collection of King Willem-Alexander and Princess Beatrix.
