Sasja Wagenaar

"Sprats" Dutch Still-Life Painting of Sprats, Fish

2013

Viewing the large-scale still-life paintings by Dutch artist Sasja Wagenaar is rewarding on two fronts. From afar, delicate flowers and blossoming branches laid across Chinese ceramics appear completely realistic. Then, as one approaches, playful shadows and ethereal reflections reveal the brushstrokes of the works, transporting viewers to a calm, but otherworldly, place.

Wagenaar was born in 1959 in Noord-Scharwoude, the Netherlands. In 1985, she graduated from the Amsterdam University of the Arts. Her early painting practice included decorating children’s furniture with her sister and fellow artist, Annalinda Wagenaar. 

She now works out of a studio in the Spaarnwoude area in South Velsen. Her lush paintings employ traditional subjects for Dutch still lifes — a genre that flourished in the 17th century with paintings by the Old Masters — such as food, flowers and table settings. Yet she imbues the acrylic on canvas works with a contemporary perspective that elevates the quiet beauty of everyday moments. The rich contrasts of color and frequent use of fabric patterns or reflective surfaces as backgrounds further the paintings’ atmospheric tones. Frequently created on monumental scales, the works draw the viewer into their absorbing scenes. 

Complementing her visual artistry, Wagenaar is also a member of Wagenaar van Co, a small collective that also includes Dutch artists Annalinda Wagenaar and Jeroen Effernf. She has exhibited her work at art fairs in Europe and around the world, including Affordable Art Fair Amsterdam and Naarden The Art Fair. 

On 1stDibs, find a collection of Sasja Wagenaar’s paintings.