Menno Balm
32. Trajan's Column, Rome, 2025
Pencil and charcoal on paper
45 x 35.5cm
12489 C IVP
$ 6,800
Menno Balm is a draftsman and painter. After graduating from the Academy of Fine Arts (Amsterdam), Balm studied Art History at the Vrije Universiteit (Amsterdam) and attended the Classical Academy...
Menno Balm is a draftsman and painter. After graduating from the Academy of Fine Arts (Amsterdam), Balm studied Art History at the Vrije Universiteit (Amsterdam) and attended the Classical Academy of Painting (Groningen). Since then, he has developed primarily as a draftsman, with elaborate drawings increasingly taking on a larger format. He finds inspiration in Italy, where the structure of ancient walls provides a basis for compositions that then come to life through unexpected irregularities in the stone and the interplay of light and shadow. Creating the illusion of three-dimensional forms on a flat surface plays a key role in this. By seeking the perfect texture for the various types of stone, he hopes to create timeless images of the ever-progressing weathering of these fascinating pieces of history.
In Trajan’s Column, Rome, Balm does not centre the famous ancient monument; instead, he explores the play of light as it moves from one ancient structure to another, revealing relief, shadow, and surface texture.
In Trajan’s Column, Rome, Balm does not centre the famous ancient monument; instead, he explores the play of light as it moves from one ancient structure to another, revealing relief, shadow, and surface texture.
