The Boy Who Broke The Spell

Artist Andrzej Jackowski (Penry, Wrexham, Wales, born 1947)

Date1996

Mediumoil on canvas

ClassificationsPaintings And Drawings

DimensionsOverall: Height: 153.4 cm, Width: 162.5 cm

AcquisitionPurchased in 1999 with assistance from the National Fund for Acquisitions, the National Art Collections Fund and with income from the Webster Bequest.

LocationView by Appointment - Aberdeen Treasure Hub

Object numberABDAG012391

Keywords

About MeAndrzej Jackowski was born in Britain of Polish parents and grew up in a refugee camp in Wales. Childhood experience has helped to shape his work. One of Jackowski's first memories is of being at a table looking through his father's stamp collection; tables are a recurring theme in the artist's work.

A deliberate ambiguity is central to this painting. Is this a coffin laid on an altar? The picture's title throws the subject into a more positive light - the boy is about to break a spell and reawaken. This could be an allusion to the journey from boyhood to manhood. The theme may have an autobiographical relevance for the artist, but it also suggests a universal emotion.

Exhibitions

Grave Goods