The Gold Diggers
The Gold Diggers
oil, canvas, 60 x 80 cm
One of the most sensitive subjects around 1940, between the Romanian and Hungarian space and a high stake for both the Treaty of Trianon and the Vienna Dictate, was the natural resources, including the gold, of Transylvania. The subject of gold mining is not a common one in painting, but it can be seen in Jándi's work.
The artist chooses to represent a landscape, through the saturated orange blocks, which suggests the precious material, devoid of brilliance and chromatic warmth in the extraction process, the work acquiring an air of opulence and richness.
In addition to the relief elements, the characters are also largely represented by orange, a procedure often used later in realistic socialist art, namely an attempt to suggest that the worker becomes one with his work, that he merges with the work he practices, losing his individuality.
One of the most interesting choices in this work is the choice of the artist to not use the color blue in the sky. Although the juxtaposition of orange with blue would have led to a bright and intense contrast between the two complementary - a contrast for which Monet also opted in the work that gave the name of Impressionism "Impression. Sunrise ”- Jándi chooses to keep all his attention on the“ gold ”, putting it in opposition with a neutral, gray sky, with discreet shades of purple.
The composition depicts an average day in the tough life of gold miners, working in rugged terrain, some digging, others gold panning. In the foreground of the composition, the dominant colors chosen by the artist are raw sienna for the soil and vivid orange for the male figures, who are similar in appearance, with no distinguishing features. The closeness of these shades may suggest that the workers become one with their work, thus losing their individuality, becoming merely means to an end. These warm, almost golden hues may also hint to the imminence of abundance and wealth. This scene ends in an almost horizontal line in the center of the composition, being interrupted by green hills with violet details. Above, the murky sky closes in around them in a foreboding way.
Jándi (Léderer) Dávid
The Gold Diggers
oil, canvas, 60 x 80 cm
signed and dated at bottom left with brown: JÁNDI 943
-
on the back:
export label No. 0260/2019
-
Condition of the work:
in some areas the paint layer presents a fine network of craquelure; the varnish layer is slightly yellowed
-
Documents:
certificate issued by Virág Judit from 20.10.2019
export certificate No. 0260/2019
![The Gold Diggers](https://www.bluewindow.gallery/media/wysiwyg/Jandi_David/the-gold-diggers/the-gold-diggers.jpg)
![The Gold Diggers](https://www.bluewindow.gallery/media/wysiwyg/Jandi_David/the-gold-diggers/the-gold-diggers.jpg)
![Jándi (Léderer) Dávid](https://www.bluewindow.gallery/media/wysiwyg/Jandi_David/Jandi_David.jpg)
Jándi (Léderer) Dávid
Jánd (Bereg), 1893 - 1944
Beyond the anecdotes, little is known about Jándi and his life, dedicated entirely to art
SEE DETAILS