The artwork ‘Kunst komt van kunst’ (Art precedes Art) was created by Eline Janssens as part of the Rijkswaterstaat project. ‘Widening the A27/A1 Utrecht North – junction Eemnes – road connection Bunschoten – Spakenburg'. For the refurbishment of the underpass, the contractor combination 3Angle (Heijmans/Fluor/3i Infrastructure) involved residents from Groenekan.
The desire of the residents to use the surrounding nature as a source of inspiration for art, has been the impetus for research into historical nature lovers from Groenekan. In the figure of Joan Gideon Loten, residents and artists saw everything united.
Joan Gideon Loten (Groenekan, May 16, 1710 – Utrecht, February 25, 1789) brought together an impressive collection of natural history books and scientific instruments during his lifetime. During his work as governor of the VOC in Ceylon and Java, he had nature prints made. He donated these watercolors of birds to the British Museum in London and the Teylers Museum in Haarlem. The collected scientific instruments are housed in the University Museum of Utrecht. Maps and topographical drawings are spread over the Rijksprentenkabinet (Amsterdam), Leiden University Library and the National Archives (The Hague).
Both the adventurous walk of dhr. Loten such as the collection of watercolors of (stuffed) birds have provided amazement and inspiration when making the final design of the artwork. As in Loten's nature themed watercolors, birds and plants have been brought together for aesthetic reasons, thus adding something to the imagination of nature.
Certhia Lotenia; honey sucker named after Loten by Carl Linnaeus.
Loten mausoleum in Westminster Abbey, London