Showing posts with label The Portrait. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Portrait. Show all posts

"The Portrait" by Willem Jan Otten (2009)

, 4 Oct 2014

The Portrait was first published in Dutch in Holland in 2005, and was translated into English by David Colmer and published in the English-speaking world in 2009, after being critically awarded in Otten's native land and winning the Libris Prize

This is a tiny book that, however, offers an unforgettable experience, if you are into odd stories, literary experimentation and entertainment, all at once. 

The Portrait is the story of Felix Vincent, a prestigious painter who accepts to paint the portrait of the dead son of Valery Specht, a rich and dubious industrialist, just for the money. This is also the story of Felix's private life and his relationship with his wife, the story of the relationship between Felix and his newly-acquired giant white-Extra- Fine-Quadruple-Universal-Primed canvas, and the story of the canvas -who is actually the narrator of the story- on which the portrait is going to be painted. 

The literary language (at least the one reflected by the translation) is precise and matter of fact, without any flourish or narrative intricacy. However, the apparent simplicity of the language and composition are counteracted by the originality of the story, the precision of its tempo, and the depth and insight of its narrative voice. The result is a fascinating contemporary noir story that goes beyond the facts narrated in the story, and explores with fluidity subjects like artistic creation, personal intimacy and trust, social and intellectual pre-assumptions, and the world of Art. 

A priori, it could sound shocking that the canvas is the narrator of the story. However, Otten takes such an absurd poetic license to transcend the facts described in the story, and the canvas becomes a sort of universal consciousness, invisible observer and jury that, however, has a sense of humour.

The book gets more interesting and fascinating by the page, and, at the end, you will be lamenting that it was too short. Which is always a great sign.