Jan Boom (1922)

Jan BOOM (Rotterdam 1922)

Boom grew up in a Reformed family. Religion would later, together with the still life, form the common thread within his oeuvre.

His chronic asthma caused interruptions to his school days and prevented him from attending the academy. Instead, from the age of thirteen to twenty, he was taught in private studios. In his own words, Jan Boom learned to look there.

In Rotterdam he often went out to document life in the working-class neighborhoods and the harbour. He painted still lifes, portraits, religious scenes and cityscapes. Jan Boom was one of the promising young painters of Rotterdam. Criticisms he received at that time included: “Jan Boom is again the best as a neorealist” or “Boom seeks it in a calm conception and in modest formats”.

It was not always easy for Jan Boom to make ends meet, especially with four young children. Several assignments provided him with some financial security. Including the design of mosaics, wall paintings and the assignment to illustrate a children's bible. He also sold works to the BKR (Visual Artists Regulation). However, the BKR only gave meager prices for his works. Jan Boom therefore protested against this "bad arrangement" in the late 1950s, together with a few other artists, after which he was expelled from the BKR.

The artist then decided to change course and move to the countryside. He moved into a small farm in Leerbroek, 50 kilometers away. His decision was incomprehensible to many. Jan Boom himself occasionally had doubts about his decision. Suddenly he was cut off from the city, from the BKR and from other artists. Despite his isolation, some enthusiasts continued to buy his work.

In the mid-sixties, Jan Boom started teaching painting, which gave him some more financial security. Slowly he crawled out of his isolation.

The departure of Jan Boom to the countryside had a major influence on his art. The tranquility of the countryside seems to be reflected in his work. He continued to paint portraits, religious scenes and landscapes, but still life became his main subject. The aspect of endless and attentive looking is reflected in his choice of subject. He painted a small bouquet, fruits, jars, bottles or other objects from “the sink cabinet”. He literally did not get tired of the still life theme and seems to be able to express himself best in this.

Many comparisons are made with Jan Boom. His work is sometimes compared to the still lifes of the Dutch masters from the seventeenth century. His technique is compared with that of the Impressionists. Furthermore, it is compared with the still lifes of Giorgio Morandi (1890-1964). All these works can be called comparable, but above all Jan Boom's work has a very individual style. He does not bluff, does not appear different in his works. His works are characterized by simplicity, modesty and austerity, both the subject matter and the choice of his palette. It is precisely the simple and sober character of his works that makes Jan Boom so unique. He created a tranquil atmosphere far from today's busy life.

In the 1960s, Jan Boom's work had a graphic character with clear contours. Gradually, however, the contours become less and less clear and the work acquires the “soft focus” character that is so typical of his later work. As the years go by, his work takes on an increasingly rarefied and fragile character, as does his health. Jan Boom passed away in 2001.