The first Apples made by artist Kees Franse in 1973 in Rotterdam. For the Heemraadssingel, where he also had his home and studio, he made four apples constructed from Kambala wood. The work was the only purchase by the municipal Commission for Sculptures in the City. The sculpture group was quickly taken to the hearts of city residents after its unveiling. French painted mainly cityscapes until the mid-1960s. In the early 1970s he started making apples from segments of windblown wood, orange crates and scrap wood. In the years before his death, French occupied himself with making watercolours of apples and pears, and wooden reliefs based on mouldings, from which all kinds of apples protrude. The four Rotterdam Apples proved to be challenging to climb, causing them to show signs of wear in places. The Apples after forty years subject to rotting and the wood had to be replaced. Thanks to the efforts of BKOR and a grant from the city council, the Apples to be recreated in 2014. A number of these were restored in Restoration Workshop Schiedam, a company specializing in the restoration of mills. Apples completely re-manufactured based on 3D scans.
Kees Frans (Oud Beijerland, 1924 - Rotterdam, 1982) was a Rotterdam artist. He studied from 1944 to approximately 1949 at the Academy of Visual Arts and Technical Sciences in Rotterdam. In 1951 he co-founded the artist group 'Argus' with Louis van Roode and Huib Noorlander, among others, with which he exhibited jointly. He mainly specialized in painting, but also made work for the public space, including a colored concrete relief (1962) above the entrance of the current City Archives in Rotterdam. He had a special interest in apples, from which he made enormous wooden sculptures. His 'apples' can be found in Gorinchem, Amsterdam, Arnhem and Leiden, among others. His 'Schiphol apple', made in 1975, is famous, on which thousands of travelers left their names and messages over the years, and which at that time served as a meeting point.
Group of three wooden apples and one freestanding apple
Materials
Kambala wood
Dimensions
∅ 2 m per apple
Year
1973
Client
Municipality of Rotterdam
Recruitment
Committee on Images in the City
Money source
OGEM gift
Owner
Municipality of Rotterdam
About the artwork
The first Apples made by artist Kees Franse in 1973 in Rotterdam. For the Heemraadssingel, where he also had his home and studio, he made four apples constructed from Kambala wood. The work was the only purchase by the municipal Commission for Sculptures in the City. The sculpture group was quickly taken to the hearts of city residents after its unveiling. French painted mainly cityscapes until the mid-1960s. In the early 1970s he started making apples from segments of windblown wood, orange crates and scrap wood. In the years before his death, French occupied himself with making watercolours of apples and pears, and wooden reliefs based on mouldings, from which all kinds of apples protrude. The four Rotterdam Apples proved to be challenging to climb, causing them to show signs of wear in places. The Apples after forty years subject to rotting and the wood had to be replaced. Thanks to the efforts of BKOR and a grant from the city council, the Apples to be recreated in 2014. A number of these were restored in Restoration Workshop Schiedam, a company specializing in the restoration of mills. Apples completely re-manufactured based on 3D scans.
Kees Frans (Oud Beijerland, 1924 - Rotterdam, 1982) was a Rotterdam artist. He studied from 1944 to approximately 1949 at the Academy of Visual Arts and Technical Sciences in Rotterdam. In 1951 he co-founded the artist group 'Argus' with Louis van Roode and Huib Noorlander, among others, with which he exhibited jointly. He mainly specialized in painting, but also made work for the public space, including a colored concrete relief (1962) above the entrance of the current City Archives in Rotterdam. He had a special interest in apples, from which he made enormous wooden sculptures. His 'apples' can be found in Gorinchem, Amsterdam, Arnhem and Leiden, among others. His 'Schiphol apple', made in 1975, is famous, on which thousands of travelers left their names and messages over the years, and which at that time served as a meeting point.
Group of three wooden apples and one freestanding apple
Materials
Kambala wood
Dimensions
∅ 2 m per apple
Year
1973
Client
Municipality of Rotterdam
Recruitment
Committee on Images in the City
Money source
OGEM gift
Owner
Municipality of Rotterdam
Kees Franse -
Apples (1973)
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. OkNo
