Thick layers of paint and an obsession with light
Jakob Smits had found his direction after the war. His canvases acquired the heavy application of paint and the grainy structure with which he is so often associated. His obsession with light remained a constant. Bright colours, powerful lines, … It all seemed to go 'naturally'. In this period, Smits tends towards expressionism.
His subjects were diverse. He painted scenes from his immediate surroundings: the changing Kempen landscape, farm interiors, bent figures, ... Religious subjects were still present as well. Smits also continued to paint portraits.
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Jacob turns 70
In 1925, a big party was organizedat the Malvinahof to celebrate Jakob Smits' seventieth birthday. Many prominent figures attended, including Minister Camille Huysmans, former Minister Louis Franck and Mayor Jozef Smolderen.
A portrait bust of Jakob Smits was made for this occasion. Sculptor Lucien Hoffman spent a spent a considerable amount of time at the Malvinahof working on the piece. It is said that Jakob himself made adjustments to the statue at night.
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Health problems
Jakob Smits was not spared from physical discomfort. He developed heart problems and cancer in the jawbone. It was the beginning of a long and painful path of suffering.
Jakob appealed to his many influential friends for help in obtaining proper treatment. . Until the end he made a desperate journey to doctors' offices and hospitals. In most photos from that time he can be seen with a bandage around his head.
On 15 February 1928, Jakob Smits died of a heart attack at the Malvinahof. Both Belgian and Dutch newspapers paid considerable attention to his death. His coffin was carried by four farmers from Mol-Achterbos. A simple common girl read a moving farewell letter. The quiet Kempen region had never seen so many distinguished ladies and gentlemen gathered together as on the day of his funeral.
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