This striking ceramic sculpture depicting a group of monkeys represents a rare and highly characteristic example of the independent sculptural work of Barend Jordens, a leading figure in Dutch applied and monumental sculpture of the interwar period. The compact, vertically stacked composition — almost tower-like in its construction — reveals Jordens’ exceptional ability to translate architectural thinking into small-scale sculptural form.
The three monkeys are modelled with elongated limbs, restrained facial features and a strong sense of mutual interaction. Rather than aiming for anecdotal realism, Jordens focuses on rhythm, volume and silhouette. The figures appear organically interwoven, creating a unified mass that recalls the sculptor’s work for architectural façades, where sculptural clarity and legibility from multiple viewpoints were essential.
This approach directly relates to Jordens’ best-known monumental commissions, most notably the sculptural decorations for the façade of the Tuschinski Theatre in Amsterdam. As with the animal and ornamental motifs on the Tuschinski exterior, the present sculpture demonstrates Jordens’ mastery of stylisation, surface rhythm and expressive restraint. The same balance between decorative richness and structural discipline that characterises his architectural sculpture is clearly evident here, distilled into an intimate, collectible format.
The sculpture is finished with a softly toned glaze showing a fine, even craquelure, consistent with high-quality Dutch artistic ceramics of the 1920s and 1930s. The glaze enhances the sculptural modelling without obscuring it, allowing light to accentuate the flowing contours of the forms. The incised monogram BJ on the base further supports the attribution.
Barend Jordens was trained at the School of Arts and Crafts and the School for Applied Arts in Amsterdam, where he studied under Willem Retera and August Falise. His artistic development was further shaped by an evening course in ceramics with Bert Nienhuis in 1923–1924. From 1919 until circa 1950 he served as a highly influential teacher of sculpture at the Quellinus School of Applied Arts, educating a generation of important Dutch artists.
Animal figures form a recurring theme within Jordens’ oeuvre, both in his free work and in his architectural commissions. This sculptural group of monkeys is particularly appealing as it encapsulates the essence of his artistic vision: the fusion of sculpture, craftsmanship and architectural sensibility. As such, it occupies a compelling position between studio sculpture and monumental art, making it an outstanding example for collectors interested in Dutch interwar sculpture, architectural ceramics and the legacy of the Amsterdam School tradition.
