Watercolor Painting “split” By Jean De Groote

Watercolor “Split” by Jean De Groote
“Split” is one of the first expressive watercolors by Belgian artist Jean De Groote.
Although De Groote later became known as the “painter of silence” thanks to his minimalist oil still lifes, this work—created when he was only 13 years old—offers a raw and dynamic study of the female form
A stylized nude figure is depicted in mid-leap or suspended in a split, legs spread wide, both arms stretched upward beyond the top edge of the paper
A single thin line runs horizontally across the lower third of the composition, defining a simple horizon or a ground plane behind the figure’s legs
Along the torn lower edge of the sheet, dark, rounded pigment spots suggest stones, shadows, or water, accompanied by two small white circular cutouts (binding holes) near the base
The title “Split” is handwritten in pencil orfine ink on the horizon line, at the far left
A small number “4” is also inscribed in the upper left margin
The work is executed on warm beige handmade or archival paper.
The work measures 27 cm wide and 21 cm high.
The frame measures 42 cm wide, 32 cm high, and 2.5 cm deep.
Signed and dated (1968) in pencil in the lower left corner.