Horst Janssen

Horst Janssen is undisputedly one of the most interesting and technically accomplished illustrators of the 20th century. His erotic nudes from the 1960s reflect the zeitgeist of the 'sexual revolution'. He explores boundaries, and when he crosses them, he does so with a great deal of humour, so that even back then he is seen to be doing so. He also achieved his breakthrough in Germany in 1965/66 with his first major solo exhibition in Hanover, although he painted figuratively, which was frowned upon and considered reactionary. At this time he created 'Verena & Verena'. Janssen depicts two women with long, dark hair sitting opposite each other in an intimate embrace, their legs bent and intertwined. The woman on the left is completely naked, the one on the right is wearing only a short-sleeved, tight-fitting shirt. The faces remain hidden - apart from the mouth of the naked woman, which is coloured a delicate red. The same red is found once again on the woman's nipple, otherwise Janssen keeps the picture in shades of grey. The sheet dedicated to his wife at the time, Verena, radiates great intimacy and tingling eroticism. The close intertwining of the two bodies makes them seem inseparable and creates the impression that they are enough unto themselves. The question of whether the two women are one and the same or two different Verenas makes this sensual image all the more interesting.

In 1968, the year this drawing 'Liegender weiblicher Akt' was created, Janssen was awarded the special prize at the Venice Biennale. The female figure lying on her back lolls lasciviously on a sofa or bed. Her legs, clad in stockings, hang over the edge of the bed. Apart from these stockings, she is only wearing shoes and a belt. Her arms are bent and stretched upwards over her head so that her fingertips touch the sofa. All you can see of her head is her shoulder-length hair and her open mouth. Janssen emphasises the sexual and physical aspects of the depiction and skilfully directs the viewer's gaze to the erogenous zones of the female body: the pubic area, nipple and mouth. The gap between the thighs created by the deformation of the body and the light-coloured belt frame the pubis. The clearly contoured nipple stands out against the light-coloured background and the sensually open mouth with its full lips is framed by the woman's arms and hair, which are also artistically deformed. The contours of the female body are outlined clearly and with a firm line, the inner drawing consists of a fine network of lines.

Janssen does not blur or rub anything to achieve effects. Everything is drawn. He only achieves the great variety of grey tones and fine modelling by using pencils of varying hardness and a multitude of very fine pencil strokes. This is why he gave himself the much-quoted name 'Millionenstrichler'.

These two exciting drawings are wonderful examples of Janssen's technical mastery and his unique pictorial inventions, which inspire with their fine modelling and captivate the viewer with their intimate, erotic depiction.