Paul Boswijk

Paul Boswijk

Paul Boswijk (1959, Arnhem) was educated at the Art Academy Minerva in Groningen, from 1979 until 1984.
Vermeer is one of his favourite painters. The conception of interiors by Paul Boswijk, strongly differs from the classical Dutch tradition if only by his remarkable preference for a vehement clair-obscur. Boswijk's interior pictures are mostly perceived in dusk or nocturnal darknes. Against a dark backdrop the full and warm colours of the clothes of his female model or of the bedding shine brightly.
Boswijk puts suspense in his paintings. He composes his interiors in such a way that the on-looker often feels avoyeur. One mostly discerns a large bed on which there sits or lies a female.
The female is mostly not aware of an on-looker, she straightens her underwear, or looks dreamily outside.
Sometimes a young female turns her head. There is no sense of recognition at all. The undeniable sensuality that Boswijk suggests in his film-like compositions has a definite effect.
One keeps on looking. About his style, Boswijk says: "...Personally, I like to concentrate in my pictures on vivacity and genuineness of my characters, form and angle of lighting. Working on it too long and too cautiously results in dullness and deadness. This is of course different for everybody, but as far as I am concerned, the search for a perfect painting constantly moves between too much and too little.
It is something you learn to see and do slowly".