Chris Beekman (1887-1964)

This abstract work by Chris Beekman is one of the few known non figurative paintings by the artist. Beekman met Bart van der Leck for the first time in 1915 and followed him in his movement towards abstraction and in the reduction of a visual reality. Both moved to Het Gooi in 1916. Chris Beekman met Vilmos Huszar already earlier, when he was still living in The Hague. Although Beekman never became a member of De Stijl group, between 1917-1920 his work was based on a geometrical grid, with primary colours or just black, grey and white. Around 1930 Beekman's work would be influenced by his political communist ideas, showing a return to figuration.

Chris Beekman used the composition of the present lot for an illustration in the book: C. Beekman, S. Goudsmit, De Gast-vertellers, een serie pogingen tot een eenigszins fatsoenlijk Cabaret in klein- kwarto, no. 1 kleine ontdekkingen, Laren 1924, p. 55.
The present lot will be sold with a copy of this book.