Beschreibung:

Oil on canvas and mirror - Sig. '73 - 195 x 145 cm
Literature "Retrospektieve Roger Raveel" Centrum voor Kunst en Cultuur, Ghent 1974, exhibition cat. nr. 150 reprod. p. 59 (reprod. of a larger version with cut out face from 1973-74) "Een verschrikkelijk mooi leven" Carlos Alleene, deel 2 - 1970-2005, Deinze 2006 p. 412, 414, 420 (reprod. of a larger version with cut out face from 1973-74) With attestation of authenticity by Mr. Octave Scheire Roger Raveel - Have yourself portrayed as a David horseman (1973) "I wanted to see things and humans in a large perspective, within their cosmic connection. Hence my ambition to create a continuous interrelation between the painting and the spectator, between the painting and the environment. Hence the voids in many of my paintings, the cutting off of the action on canvas, the integration of mirrors, the attachments of real objects… By intensifying the reality in a plastic way, I also want to integrate an absurdity in my artwork that shakes us up into the brain." (From: Trouw 1969) Roger Raveel strives to "let art flow into life". He focusses on making art that can't exist apart from life, but that on the contrary mingles with life, and interacts with life. He realizes this by the creation of fields of tension at multiple levels: as well compositional, pictorial as formal, as can also be found in "Garden Wall" (1972-73, lot 431 in this auction). "Have yourself portrayed as a David horseman" confuses the viewer by its mixture of recognizable and abstract elements. Natural greens and grays are startled by bright red and yellow. Soft outlines are interrupted by sharp lines. In that manner, the organic background is cut off drastically by the white foreground. The painting enters its surrounding space. On top of that a real object, a mirror, is integrated in the canvas and reflects the surroundings. Reality, image and illusion intertwine. Raveel adds an important motive form art history in this game between reality and fiction: the equestrian portrait. The entire composition is a persiflage on the famous "Equestrian portrait of Stanislaw Kostka Potocki" (1781) by Jacques-Louis David Horse and horseman and even dog and background are integrated into the artistic universe of Roger Raveel The mirror offers every accidental passer-by the chance to identify himself with the supposed greatness that the portrayed one deserves.