Jonah in the Whale (Jona in de Walvis)

About this artwork.

The piece stands atop a pole in a small pond. A whale has been opened up and inside sits a poorly dressed man. Both the title and the depiction of the sculpture refer to the biblical story of Jonah and the whale. The book tells of Jonah, who is ordered to preach to pagans by God. Jonah then flees to Tarsis in a boat to evade this divine command. As punishment, God causes a storm that almost sinks the ship. Jonah ends up in the sea and is swallowed by a whale. In the whale’s belly, he repents, and three days later he is regurgitated unharmed.
 
What is striking about the sculpture is the strange relationship between human and animal figures: Jonah occupies almost the entire belly of the whale. 
 
In 1978 the sculpture was given a location at the school for remedial teaching, which was completed in the same year. Janny Brugman-de Vries made the sculpture under the percentage scheme. This scheme, which was instituted by the State in 1951, stipulated that 1 to 1.5 percent of the building budget could be earmarked for “decorative ornament”, which was understood to mean “the installation of permanent artwork of a monumental character”. 
 
Brugman-de Vries frequently worked by commission: she made numerous sculptures, mouldings and mosaics for buildings and parks. She also created many war memorials.

Facts & Figures.

• Design
  Janny Brugman-de Vries

• District
  Vinkhuizen

• Year of creation
  1978

• Art type
  Freestanding sculpture

• Material
  Bronze

• Dimensions
  h 2,25 m