Abstract Composition (1969)Signed with initials and dated 69 lower leftWith studio stamp on the stretcherOil on canvas in artist's frame, 81 x 60.9 cmProvenance:- Auction Christie's, Amsterdam, 9 June 1998, lot 379- Private collection, the Netherlands Note:The renowned Dutch artist Willem Hussem continually experimented and produced highly diverse works of art, including painting, drawing, and sculpture. He also devoted himself to writing poetry. Throughout his life, he was in search of a manner of working that tied in with his philosophical views. It was in Hegel’s philosophy and Zen Buddhism that he found the intellectual basis for the universalistic outlook on the world that would determine his thought and work. In the 1950s, Hussem created paintings that appeared to emanate calligraphic characters, and in the late 1950s, more geometric influences could be seen. After 1965, this gradually changed into more clear-cut forms, which can be demonstrated in this work on offer. A constant aspiration towards simplicity and purity underlies not only this painting, but Hussem’s entire oeuvre. He once said, "I spent a lifetime trying to make my job so simple. I have to conquer that simplicity over and over again."Please note: condition reports and additional photos are available upon request.