The Studio & Technique
The Alchemist's Laboratory
Johfra Bosschart was not merely a visionary who painted dreams; he was a disciplined craftsman who approached his art with the rigor of a scientist and the patience of a monk. While his subject matter explored the "meta-real," his technique was grounded deeply in the physical realities of paint, glaze, and anatomy. His studio was not just a workspace, but a temple dedicated to the observation of nature.
The Spiritual "Tutor": Leonardo da Vinci
From his earliest days at the Academy of Fine Arts in The Hague, Johfra distinguished himself by choosing a spiritual mentor from the past. While his contemporaries looked to the chaotic expressionism of the modernists, Johfra turned to the High Renaissance.
He adopted Leonardo da Vinci as his "tutor," a relationship he maintained until his death. For Johfra, Leonardo represented the perfect synthesis of two poles:
- Scientific Observation: The rigorous, almost clinical study of the natural world.
- Mystical Intuition: The ability to perceive the spiritual mystery within the physical form.
Johfra emulated Leonardo’s habit of keeping extensive sketchbooks, filling them with studies of drapery, twisted roots, and anatomical dissections. He believed that one could not paint the "unseen" without first mastering the "seen."
Old Master Techniques: The Glazing Method
Johfra rejected "alla prima" (direct painting) methods. Instead, he immersed himself in Max Doerner’s texts and mastered the Venetian technique of glazing:
The Method
Applying multiple layers of transparent oil paint over a detailed monochromatic underpainting (grisaille).
The Effect
Light penetrates the transparent layers and reflects off the white ground beneath, creating a luminosity and depth that "direct" painting cannot achieve.
"The painter of the square decimeter" — Johfra (on his obsession with microscopic detail)
The Sanctuary: Moulin de Peuch
In 1974, Johfra moved to the Moulin de Peuch, an 18th-century water mill in the French Dordogne. His studio there was a Wunderkammer (Cabinet of Curiosities) filled with objects that bridged the gap between death and life:
- Anatomy Human skeletons and horse skulls as reminders of biological machinery.
- Geology Vast collection of crystals and minerals, studied for geometric perfection.
- Nature Twisted driftwood and roots, inspiring "tangled" biomorphic landscapes.
- Library Shelves lined with old books on hermetic philosophy, biology, and mythology.
In this sanctuary, surrounded by the artifacts of natural history, Johfra worked in silence, translating the raw materials of the earth into the visions of the spirit.