Portrait of Laurent Polis
| Dating | 1906 |
|---|---|
| Material / technique | oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 119,5 x 85 cm |
| Literature | |
| Exhibitions | Maastricht 1906 (Augustus 5-September 3), Momus Society, International Exhibition of Fine Arts, cat.no 86 Aachen, Germany 1911 (March), Suermondt Museum, exhibition Limburgse Kunstkring |
| Provenance | 1906 gift from the artist to the Committee of the Momus Society 1935 bequest by Louise Polis-Henrar to the City of Maastricht 1935 loan from the City of Maastricht to current residence through Limburgs Geschied- en Oudheidkundig Genootschap (LGOG) |
| Current residence | Collection Bonnefantenmuseum, Maastricht |
| Signature | b.l. in paint: HRI GOOVAERTS [underlined] 1906 |
| Headings | |
| Remarks | ‘It is with a feeling of deep admiration and profound gratitude that the committee of the Momus Society accepts the invaluable gift that you have been willing to offer the society. This portrait of the highly esteemed Honorary President Mr. L. Polis, painted by you with master hand, will be proof of the highest respect of the Society for her Honorary President, and also as a high appreciation of the brilliant talent of one of Maastricht's sons, and will as such have an honoured place in the temple of Momus.' (Letter dated July 31, 1906 from the committee of the Momus Society Maastricht to Henri Goovaerts; letter in the archive of Lily Goovaerts) Joseph Laurent Hubert Polis (1845-1915) wrote poems and plays in Maastricht dialect. With his wife, Louise Henrar, he meant a lot for the charity work of the Maastricht association Momus. In the last years of his life he was honorary president of this association. (Reference: Knippenberg, H.H., Memoriaal. Herinneringsbeelden met enige portretten en naamregister, Helmond 1949) In 1912 the painter Guillaume Eberhard (1879-1949) made a copy of this painting, which is also in the Bonnefantenmuseum Maastricht Collection. Eberhard may have made the copy to familiarize himself with Henri Goovaerts' painting technique. In 1912, Eberhard was, in addition to Henri Jonas and Rob Graafland, one of the painters who would finish Goovaerts’ group portrait of the Maastricht Civic Guard since Goovaerts had suddenly died before he could have finished that portrait. |