Wilhelm Josef Oomens

Wilhelm Josef Oomens SJ was a Dutch Jesuit and painter.

Wilhelm Josef Oomens was born 14 September 1918 in The Hauge, Netherlands. He studied Mathematics, Physics and Psychology. In 1949, he entered the congregation of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and begun a study of philosophy and Catholic theology.

In 1957 he was ordinated as a priest. From then on he acted as teacher and director of a grammar school and was longstanding director of the centre of orientation and cultural studies in Limburg (Netherland). In succession to an heart surgery (1978), he was compelled to leave teaching. From now onwards he operated as a priest in pastoral care in Sittard, Netherlands, near the border with Germany.

He enjoyed the work, so he asked the Bishop of Aachen, Klaus Hemmerle, to assign him a rectorate. Thus, the Bishop of Aachen appointed him as pastor at St. Antony, Eschweiler-Roehe, where he acted until 2005. Here, he worked closely with the composer and church musician Franz Surges. Contingous to his different functions, he was constantly acted as a painter. He died 27 June 2008 in Nijmegen.

Oeuvre

The emphasis of his artistry is the rendering and interpretation of biblical motifs. He handeled with mythological scenes to (so for instance "The three Graces", 1983; "Phaeton", 1978), but this loosed wight by comparison with historic and scriptural motifs.

He artistically handled the Christmas story ("In dulci jubilo", 1991, "The Adoration of the Magi") and the history of Jesus' suffering (for instance "Man of Sorrows", "Stations of the Cross" , 1994, "The body of Jesus taken off the cross", 1981 and 1992 and of particular importance "Ecce Homo") and his resurrection and the coronation of the Eucharist ("The doubting Thomas", 1993; "The path to the Light", 1998)

The manner of painting orientates obviouselly by the classical Dutch masters like Lucas van Leiden or Hieronymus Bosch.

Philosophy

A focus in "oevre" and mentation of Wilhelm Joseph Oomens is the idea of wondering (in the tradition of Aristoteles and Fathers of the church). The greatness of this he accentuated in a multiplicity of homilies and unpresented writings). The function of the painting deduced from the confidence of the imporance of wondering and resulting reverence.

Literature

* "Wilhelm Josef Oomens: Worte in Bildern erleben." Verlag Dohr, 2000 (an anthology of selected works of W.J. Oomens, with meditative texts in English and German)
* "150 Jahre Pfarre St. Antonius Eschweiler-Röhe" (published by parish, St. Antony, Eschweiler-Roehe, 1995)