Museum Møhlmann - Rob Møhlmann Cantoproject

The Canto-project 1982-1993

About the Canto-project I published Het Cantoproject. Een blik op de werkelijkheid (The Canto-project: a glance at reality). This publication, with all Canto-paintings in black and white and 16 in full-colour illustrations, is still available in the museum and in bookshops. The book tells a detailed story of how this remarkable project came into being, how it developed, and what the background of every individual Canto could be.

Canto 1: Eye-catcher, 1982

A visit to the museum is of course the best way to get an overall experience of the Canto-project. But because not everybody is able to do so, visitors to the web-site of Museum Møhlmann can have a look at the complete series of 124 Canto-paintings on the site.
It would be pushing it a bit far to elaborate on every work, but number, title and year are always stated. Below you wil find a short summary of the Canto-project; the entire Canto-collection is almost always on display in the museum, except during large-scale or special exhibitions. If you plan to visit the museum especially for the Canto-project, you’ll be well-advised to give us a call beforehand.

Canto 19: The fall-1, 1983

Introduction Canto-project

Work on the Canto-project started in 1982. The initial goal was to paint a small series (of about 10 paintings) depicting one single can. And this in a era that realism was considered as futile. Møhlmann strived to prove that even the most trivial object from everyday reality could have enough artistic potential to fill the entire life of a painter. He even increased the requirements of this mission by imposing a number of very restricting rules on himself.

Canto 20: The fall-2, 1983

First of all, all paintings had to be identical in size (30x40cm.) and the can itself had to be the same size everytime and also appear at exactly the same spot in each and every painting, whilst also being observed at the same angle. Rather stifling rules, but with hindsight they stimulated creativity and sharpened the eye, in order to discover the most beautiful reflections in things most common. What set out as a humble series quickly ran completely out of hand, and the series would finally be worked on - with some interruptions - for eleven years.

Canto 21: The fall-3, 1983

When 121 Canto’s were finished, the series made a two-and-a-halve years tour around cultural institutions and museums throughout the Netherlands. Lacking were Canto 122 and 123 because they were still on the easel; Canto 124 never got beyond a draft, because by then Møhlmann had finally managed to escape from the compelling pressure of the can. After having been exhibited during some time at the Museum the Markiezenhof in Bergen op Zoom, the Canto-collection has since 1997 permanently been exhibited in the artist’s own museum.

Canto 22: The fall-4, 1983

The order is chronological. Thus you will not only notice a development in technique, but also in the approach of the subject. Furtermore you also travel through time and as it were follow the ramblings of the can through the different studios of the painter. In the course of eleven years you will witness, on the basis of mini-series that emerged within the series itself, a number of "moments in time", varying from roughly a second to a day or longer. Thus, for the first time the concept of "time" was caught in a realistic piece of art. By menas of a number of "successions" in the series the concept of "space" is also given what amounts to an extra dimension.

Canto 23: The fall-5, 1983

Despite times of bitter hardship and adversity not a single Canto-painting was ever sold. Thus the series is still complete. In the last two years of the project Rob Møhlmann was granted a subsidy by the then Ministry of Welfare, Health and Culture. After that he (for the time being?) finished the project. And still, despite offers of a number of potential buyers, not a single Canto-painting is for sale.

Finally, the brand Canto is fully imaginary. Canto means: each of the autonomous parts of an epic poem. And a poem in images is what it is.

Canto 1: Eye-catcher, 1982		A visit to the museum is of course the best way to get an overall experience of the Canto-project. But because not everybody is able to do so, visitors to the web-site of Museum Møhlmann can have a look at the complete series of 124 Canto-paintings on the site. It would be pushing it a bit far to elaborate on every work, but number, title and year are always stated. Below you wil find a short summary of the Canto-project; the entire Canto-collection is almost always on display in the museum, except during large-scale or special exhibitions. If you plan to visit the museum especially for the Canto-project, you’ll be well-advised to give us a call beforehand.
Canto 19: The fall-1, 1983		Introduction Canto-project Work on the Canto-project started in 1982. The initial goal was to paint a small series (of about 10 paintings) depicting one single can. And this in a era that realism was considered as futile. Møhlmann strived to prove that even the most trivial object from everyday reality could have enough artistic potential to fill the entire life of a painter. He even increased the requirements of this mission by imposing a number of very restricting rules on himself.
Canto 20: The fall-2, 1983		First of all, all paintings had to be identical in size (30x40cm.) and the can itself had to be the same size everytime and also appear at exactly the same spot in each and every painting, whilst also being observed at the same angle. Rather stifling rules, but with hindsight they stimulated creativity and sharpened the eye, in order to discover the most beautiful reflections in things most common. What set out as a humble series quickly ran completely out of hand, and the series would finally be worked on - with some interruptions - for eleven years.
Canto 21: The fall-3, 1983		When 121 Canto’s were finished, the series made a two-and-a-halve years tour around cultural institutions and museums throughout the Netherlands. Lacking were Canto 122 and 123 because they were still on the easel; Canto 124 never got beyond a draft, because by then Møhlmann had finally managed to escape from the compelling pressure of the can. After having been exhibited during some time at the Museum the Markiezenhof in Bergen op Zoom, the Canto-collection has since 1997 permanently been exhibited in the artist’s own museum.
Canto 22: The fall-4, 1983		The order is chronological. Thus you will not only notice a development in technique, but also in the approach of the subject. Furtermore you also travel through time and as it were follow the ramblings of the can through the different studios of the painter. In the course of eleven years you will witness, on the basis of mini-series that emerged within the series itself, a number of "moments in time", varying from roughly a second to a day or longer. Thus, for the first time the concept of "time" was caught in a realistic piece of art. By menas of a number of "successions" in the series the concept of "space" is also given what amounts to an extra dimension.
Canto 23: The fall-5, 1983		Despite times of bitter hardship and adversity not a single Canto-painting was ever sold. Thus the series is still complete. In the last two years of the project Rob Møhlmann was granted a subsidy by the then Ministry of Welfare, Health and Culture. After that he (for the time being?) finished the project. And still, despite offers of a number of potential buyers, not a single Canto-painting is for sale. Finally, the brand Canto is fully imaginary. Canto means: each of the autonomous parts of an epic poem. And a poem in images is what it is.