New artwork stands tall in Courthouse forecourt

‘LOVE OR GENEROSITY’ New artwork stands tall in courthouse forecourt!

At more than five metres tall, Nicole Eisenman’s artwork Love or Generosity is hard to miss. The sculpture has been erected in front of the new courthouse, on the plaza that’s open to the public. And it’s well worth making a detour to see it up close.

The artwork was made by Nicole Eisenman, an American artist best known to the art-going public for her figurative paintings tapping into a broad spectrum of styles from Renaissance painting to modern art. Since 2012, Eisenman has also been making sculptures.

Titled Love or Generosity, the artwork represents a gatekeeper of the new courthouse – not a security guard but a gentle soul who offers a moment of respite and consolation. Its impressive height is a good match for the new home of Amsterdam’s district court, which rises ten storeys. Yet, tall as it is, the friendly bearing of this ‘gatekeeper’ is sure to attract and elicit curiosity rather than scare people off.