Still life with African object

About this work

Anyone strolling around an art and antiques fair in the North of the Netherlands might well run into Henk Helmantel. His interest in old objects is unparalleled. The painter's eye sees a lot. Once an object has piqued his interest, it is examined from all sides, held, and held up to the light. I see, I see, what others might not see… It’s right, I can do something with this! This African object ended up in the studio just like that. Henk has used it several times in his paintings. Undoubtedly, it was the softness of the natural colors that contributed to the choice of this drinking cup (used for medicine). Henk chooses the mangosteen fruit, a fruit originally from Asia but increasingly found in tropical Africa.