17. Charlotte van Pallandt - Fred Carasso, 1969

This portrait of Fred Carasso, dating from 1969, is the highlight of the work of Charlotte van Pallandt. The design of horizontal and vertical lines and the surfaces used by the artist in the outline of her portrait remain visible. This portrait is neither sophisticated nor elaborate, and the reason for this was the sudden death of Fred Carasso during the creation of this sculpture. Charlotte van Pallandt decided not to complete the portrait. The sketchy character and dynamics of the hollow and rounded surfaces show the essential probing of Carasso. She says “it was never going to be a resemblance or replica. It is the structure, composition and plastic which is most important, even beyond the shape. If you sense the essence of someone, their character will manifest automatically.” Charlotte van Pallandt painted many portraits. What makes her work unique is that she first made a detailed analysis of her models. Then she attempted to make the sculpture as simply as possible.

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The Musea Zutphen -Stedelijk Museum Zutphen en het Museum Henriette Polak- are located in the 17th-century city palace Hof van Heeckeren. History, cultural history, visual arts and topical matters meet here in a surprising way