A life between worlds
Karel Albert Schmidt moved from the Dutch East Indies to Leiden in 1887, carrying with him a perspective shaped by distant horizons. His path was not solely one of brushes and ink; he lived as an evangelist and a writer, often found delivering open-air sermons in Zandvoort or speaking to crowds in the Gooi region. In 1910, he married Johanna de Kruijf, and together they raised three children. Life eventually settled in Blaricum, though a period in Zandvoort brought significant hardship, as the couple faced severe abuse following his public religious activities. By 1915, health concerns drew him back to the quiet of Blaricum.
His hands were busy with many forms of mark-making. He worked as a painter, lithographer, draftsman, watercolorist, etcher, and printmaker. Much of his creative output was self-taught, developed through solitary practice and observation across various European countries. In Blaricum, he became part of a small circle of creators, helping to establish the artists' society known as De Smeden.
The astral subject
The work produced by Schmidt often looked toward things unseen. His paintings leaned into an expressionist style, focusing on astral subjects that sought to capture a spiritual or cosmic dimension. These pieces, such as Visionaire schets? and Apocalyptic Scene (1860-1890 AD), suggest a preoccupation with the ethereal and the profound. His drawings and sketches often carried this same weight of vision.
His presence in the art community was marked by specific moments of visibility:
- In 1917, he exhibited at the 10th Jury-Free Group Exhibition of De Onafhankelijken in Amsterdam.
- He contributed an essay to the magazine De Wiekslag during that same year.
- In the autumn of 1918, his work was part of a group exhibition held at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam.
Legacy and memory
Schmidt passed away in Blaricum on October 17, 1920, only four days after his birthday. Though his life was short, the traces of his work remained within his family for decades. In 2003, much of his collection of paintings and drawings was donated to the Dutch State. Years after his death, in 1928, an exhibition of his work at the Free School in The Hague received critical attention in De Telegraaf, ensuring that his specific way of seeing continued to be noted by those who followed.
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