Jan Schoonhoven

Galerie m, Bochum
Acquired directly from the above by the present owner in 1970

Rotterdam, Galerie Delta, Rotterdamsche Kunstkring, Castellani, Manzoni, Schoonhoven, 1962
Bochum, Galerie m, J. J. Schoonhoven, 1969
Städtisches Museum Mönchengladbach; Münster, Westfälischer Kunstverein; Venlo, Museum Van Bommel van Dam, Jan J. Schoonhoven, 1972
Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Städtische Kunstsammlungen, Bürgermeister-Ludwig-Reichert-Haus, Systematische Programme: Arbeiten von Ad Dekkers, Ewerdt Hilgemann, Jan Schoonhoven, Herman de Vries, 1973, n.p., illustrated
Frankfurt am Main, Städtische Galerie im Städelschen Kunstinstitut, Das Städel zeigt: Beispiele aus der Sammlung Lenz, Kronberg,1974-75, n.p., no. 37, illustrated
Salzburg, Museum Carolino Augusteum, Bilder und Objekte aus der Sammlung Lenz Schönberg. Eine europäische Bewegung, 1985, n.p., illustrated
Barcelona, Fundacío Caixa de Barcelona; Madrid, Fundacío Juan March, Zero, un Movimiento Europeo: Coleccíon Lenz Schönberg, 1988
Munich, Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, ZERO. Vision und Bewegung. Werke aus der Sammlung Lenz Schönberg, 1988, p. 151, illustrated in colour
Moscow, Zentrales Künstlerhaus, Sammlung Lenz Schönberg. Eine europäische Bewegung in der bildenden Kunst von 1958 bis heute, 1989, p. 182, illustrated
Innsbruck, Tiroler Landesmuseum Ferdinandeum, Sammlung Lenz Schönberg: "...die Kunst von innen bittend...", 1991, p. 79, illustrated in colour
Warsaw, Galeria Zachęta, Sammlung Lenz Schönberg. Aus der Stille der Zeit - über die Grenzen von Raum, 1992, p. 146, illustrated
Zagreb, Museum für zeitgenössische Kunst, ZERO. Die europäische Vision - 1958 bis heute. Sammlung Lenz Schönberg, 2004, p. 114, illustrated
Salzburg, Museum der Moderne, ZERO. Künstler einer europäischen Bewegung. Sammlung Lenz Schönberg 1956-2006, 2006

Bożena Kowalska, 'Kolekcja Gerharda Lenza: Gerhard Lenz's Collection', in: Projekt: Sztuka wazualna i projektowanie visual art & design 195, June 1990, pp. 7-11, illustrated
Hanno Reuther, 'Jan Schoonhoven: Das gerasterte Weiss oder: Eindeichung der Emotion', in: Kritisches Lexikon der Gegenwartskunst, Munich 1990, p. 5, illustrated
Anna and Gerhard Lenz with Ulrike Bleicker-Honisch, Epoche Zero. Sammlung Lenz Schönberg. Leben in Kunst, Vol. I, Ostfildern 2009, p. 125, no. SC-01, illustrated in colour

Colour: The colours in the catalogue illustration are fairly accurate, although the overall tonality is slightly warmer in the original and the illustration fails to convey fully the three-dimensionality of the work. Condition: This work is in very good condition. Close inspection reveals several stable and very thin hairline drying cracks in places to the junctions of the protruding rectangular elements, which are inherent to the medium, and a few minute spots of media accretion in places to the surface. No restoration is apparent under ultra-violet light.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

By the mid 1960s, the Zero movement had evolved and expanded exponentially beyond its three-person origins in Dusseldorf to become an international Post-War tendency - one that effectively signalled the early stages of the art world transforming into a global community no longer precluded by national boundaries. At its centre in The Netherlands was Jan Schoonhoven, a part-time artist and full-time postal service employee, who in 1961 formed with 5 other artists a Dutch Zero contingent which they called Nul, the Dutch word for Zero.

Taking its inspiration from the regularity and order he perceived around him in the fabric of modern living, Schoonhoven's work sought to form a bridge between art and contemporary society through a universal abstract visual language that was both devoid of emotion and filled with infinite possibilities of interpretation. Using an impersonal and entirely novel approach to art making that combined painting and sculpture, his exquisitely hand-crafted monochrome papier-mâché reliefs possess an internal harmony, whose sense of purity is carefully balanced by their delicate surfaces and subtle tonal movement.

Created during the pinnacle of his career, the present Weißes Strukturrelief R 62-1 relief is amongst the most complex works Schoonhoven engineered. In it he develops the basic grid structure of his earlier constructions to instigate a more dynamic and rhythmical interchange between the front and rear surfaces that encourages the eye to wander and explore across its soft and tactile surfaces. It was never Schoonhoven's goal to create new forms through his art. Rather when returning from his structured day job at the PTT, he created reliefs whose order was deducted from everyday objects such as the wall grills, postal-sorting boxes and Venetian blinds of his quotidian environment. In the true spirit of Zero, he wished to unveil and underline to humanity the easily overlooked beauties of modern life, and this important work stands a superb testament to the enduring relevance and influence of his work.