Commissioned works
About making commissioned art
"The eye must also learn to listen before looking and recording", is a fascinating poetic statement by American photographer Robert Frank (1924-2019), which I only recently read by chance. In my opinion, it beautifully sums up what is needed when carrying out a painting for a client. Of course, as an artist, you have to stand behind the work you deliver. Of course, you have to do something that really pleases and attracts the customer. If you accept the job, listening carefully to what the client wants is important. Asking the right questions is essential. It's a matter of feeling what he likes. That's a curious quality I seem to possess. The many commissions I have carried out in my long career as an artist have all been carried out to the full satisfaction of the clients!
Sander Kletter, October 2023
Sander Kletter, Sammy, oil on canvas, 80 x 70 cm, commissioned by Mr. and Mrs. Schott (Spain)
About commissioned painted portraits
I have drawn and painted (group) portraits all my life. Portraits of people and pets, many of which were commissioned. I lost count for a long time. Clients include individuals, companies and institutions.
Because as a free artist I have extensively experimented with all types of techniques and styles, I am able to take into account a client's wishes stylistically when carrying out portrait work. A good example of this is the painting Martine and Herman, which I created at the client's request using the impasto technique, that is, painting with a palette knife.
In addition to commissioned portraits, I also regularly do portraits of my friends, myself, and other artists.
Sander Kletter, October 2023
Sander Kletter, Martine and Herman, oil on canvas, 70 x 90 cm, commissioned by Mrs. M. van Rijnveld, Eenrum (The Netherlands).
Sander Kletter, The Ebbens brothers, oil on canvas, 60 x 80 cm, commissioned by Mr. and Mrs. Ebbens, Veendam (The Netherlands)
Sander Kletter, Portrait of M. Weda, in her farewell to the Netherlands, as thanks for the 150 international games played, watercolor, 65 x 50 cm, commissioned by Nederlandse Basketball Bond, Amsterdam (The Netherlands)
Sander Kletter, Portrait of René, Edwin and Jorien, pastel on paper, 50 x 65 cm, commissioned by Mrs. A. Bouman, Beerta (The Netherlands)
Sander Kletter, Monica's grandfather, in memoriam,
washed ink on paper, 29 x 21 cm,
privately ordered, Scheemda (The Netherlands)
Andy Warhol portrait series
Commissioned by The Sixties & Beyond Foundation of Amsterdam, I painted a series of portraits of Andy Warhol in 1994. That same year, The Sixties & Beyond Foundation organized a large-scale gallery event in Amsterdam focusing on heroes and heroines in the field of music, art and culture of the sixties. What was special was that well-known artists from those years exhibited in some galleries together with those from later generations. My three Warhol portraits were shown in a group exhibition at Galerie L&K on the Jordaan.
On the opening night of the event, my paintings were shown on Dutch television's NOS news. This national attention earned me a solo exhibition at Galerie Nicole Bellier in Paris in 1994!
Sander Kletter, October 2023
Sander Kletter, Andy (1), acrylic on canvas, 140 x 140 cm, commissioned by The Sixties & Beyond Foundation, private collection Mr. and Mrs. Jaspers, Haarlem (The Netherlands)
Sander Kletter, Andy (2), acrylic on canvas, 50 x 50 cm, commissioned by The Sixties & Beyond Foundation, private collection Mr. and Mrs. Yoneyama, Tóquio (Japan)
Sander Kletter, Andy (3), acrylic on canvas, 50 x 50 cm, commissioned by The Sixties & Beyond Foundation, private collection Mrs. Verschoor, Leiden (The Netherlands)
Sander Kletter, Church Tower of Scheemda,
washed ink on paper, 29 x 21 cm, design for label of the so-called Scheemter Sputtertje, commissioned by supermarket C 1000, Scheemda (The Netherlands)
Sander Kletter, Dog,
pastel chalk on paper, 50 x 65 cm,
commissioned by Mrs. L. Koning, Scheemda (The Netherlands)
Other commissioned artworks
In addition to portraits, I created numerous commissioned drawings and paintings, which can be classified as other genres, such as landscape. For example, I painted Serenade in Tuscany for private individuals at 1st Exloërmond. See the home page for an image.
Over the years, there have been numerous special assignments, more or less specific. For example, I designed Scheemda's tower for the label of a liqueur titled 'Scheemter Sputtertje', which was on sale in the local supermarket of the well-known supermarket chain C1000 (see image). This was in the village of Scheemda, where I lived and worked as an artist for more than twenty-five years before emigrating to Portugal.
The task of painting a Mary with a child in watercolor was also unique, inspired by the tradition of Russian Orthodox icon painting. It received the simple title of Icon (see image). I then received six more tasks from the satisfied client.
It also happened once that a client, a couple who loved my free works of art, commissioned me to create a new work in line with my Besoin d'Amour series. The painting title became Landscape full of effusions. See the image below. In addition to this work, clients have three other works of mine, including the portrait Andy (1) from the aforementioned Warhol series.
Sander Kletter, October 2023
Sander Kletter, Icon, watercolor on paper, 50 x 30 cm,
commissioned by Mrs. L. Koning, Scheemda (The Netherlands)
Sander Kletter, Landscape full of effusions, oil on canvas, 100 x 120 cm, commissioned by Mr. and Mrs. Jaspers, Haarlem (The Netherlands)