Recto Verso is a double sided poster as a multiple artwork, in an edition of 56.

The poster represents in life-size the portraits of Stephanus Geraerdts and Isabella Coymans, painted by Frans Hals around 1644.

The electrified loving gaze between Stephanus Geraerdts and Isabella Coymans has been disrupted since 1886, when an art dealer sold Stephanus to the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp and Isabella to the Rothschild family.
Since then the paintings have led a separate life, one in the public and the other in the private realm. They have met once again for Frans Hals’ monographic exhibition in Washington, London and Haarlem in 1990.

In accordance with the actual situation, the paintings in Recto Verso are unable to physically hang next to each other; they are therefore in double-sided print.
Aëgerter kindly asks for the owners of the work to limit the use to one poster for each household, which is stated in a mutual letter of agreement signed by the artist and the collector.

In Recto Verso, the portraits are reproduced in exact life-size. According to scientific sources, Stephanus’ canvas is one centimetre wider than Isabella and Isabella’s portrait is one centimetre taller than Stephanus, represented in poster by white margins on each side.

Order Recto Verso (edition : 56 pieces; price: € 80 + shipping costs)

Related projects:

Elasticity of Presence, ‘Rendez-vous met Frans Hals’, Frans Hals Museum, Haarlem 

Elasticity of Presence, Huis met de Hoofden, Amsterdam

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