Olga with cat (Olga met kat)
Jan Wolkers
About this artwork.
A woman holds a cat in her arms, with so much affection that it looks as if she is holding a baby. The sculpture was made by writer and artist Jan Wolkers. In his book Turks Fruit (Turkish Delight), the intimacy of the sculpture is explained. Wolkers' lover at the time was a model for both the character Olga in Turks Fruit and for this work of art in Groningen. In the book, you can read how Olga found a shelduck, which she cares for and to which she is very attached. By an unfortunate coincidence, the sculptor, working on a sculpture of Olga with cat, steps on the duckling: “He lay shuffling at my feet and Olga shrunk back with a scream. She has spent the whole day with the dead animal in the cavity between her body and her raised legs crying against the wall. (...) And I believe that's why that image of that woman with that cat has become so intimate. Because she was posing so sadly and it wouldn't let go of her for months.”
The rough surface of the sculpture shows the supple yet powerful way in which the bronze has been processed. The curves of the woman – the buttocks, the belly and the thighs – are accentuated by the close-fitting dress she wears. This lends the image something sensual, whilst at the same time expressing the woman's attitude of affection and caring.
About the assignment.
Olga with cat is a gift from 1960 from the N.V. Bouwfonds Nederlandse Gemeenten (Building Fund for Dutch Municipalities) on the occasion of the completion of the 10,000th house in the city of Groningen.
Location.
Paterswoldseweg (groenstrook bij Ringweg)
Facts & Figures.
-
Design
Jan Wolkers -
Year of creation
1956 -
Art type
Freestanding sculpture -
Material
Bronze -
Dimensions
h 1,77 m; sokkel h 0,32 x b 0,52 x d 0,48 m