Jan Uri

Jan Uri

(Assen 1888 – 1979 Amstelveen)

obscured Dutch painter, graphic artist, arts and crafts -drawing  teacher.

Some time ago I tried to figure out the maker of this 1922 Resting Tiger*. The signature was very faded and illegible. Recently however I found another (but  sadly a ruined) copy of the tiger print but this time signed loud and clear: Jan Uri. 

Before I knew Jan Uri I've guessed the resting tiger could have been made by Johannes ten Kloooster (1873-1940), above, although it was not mentioned in his catalogue raisonné. It seems obvious Jan Uri had knowledge of the works of his colleague painter and printmaker.

I think Jan Uri is probably only known to his family and a handful of insiders, but recently very near my home a local museum was given three paintings created probably during a stay or holiday in Friesland in the 1950’s. 

Jan Uri was born in a family going back to 17^th French Hugenote families (Uri, Ury) arriving through Hanau in Germany to the Netherlands in the 18th century. A distant cousin Jeanne earned a professorship in biology. 

Jan Uri, Barn interior.

Uri born with a talent for drawing however entered the Rijks-Academie voor Beeldende kunst in 1908 and later became a teacher at the “Dag-tekenopleiding voor meisjes” (young ladies drawing school), at the Quellinius Arts and Craft School and the Midveld College in Amsterdam. The tiger most probably spend his life in Amsterdam Artis ZOO.

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In Artis Zoo Uri will have met many artist colleagues (follow the Tag below) some of whom were quite famous in their days because of their talent painting animals like: Henricus Rol (1906-1992) he did many watercolors of the Zoo's big cats for the famous 1938 Verkade album “Artis” (above). 

His father Cornelis Rol (1877-1963) designed the covers. In all 31 volumes were published, in great numbers, between 1906 and 1940. Collectable in the 1970-80’s and now again to be found for sale for scratch. Some of the finest contemporary artists co-operated in these illustrated albums.

Since not many examples of Jan Uri's art can be found here are some more tiger painting specialists I know of.  

Bernard Willem Wierink (1865-1939), also almost forgotten now, had a special talent for the big cats. Besides a painter he was also a very fine woodblock printmaker. He will appear soon in personal posting showing them. 

Internationally British artists Herbert Dicksee (1862-1942) and Raymond Sheppard (1890-1980) were equally impressed by the tigers in London Zoo.

And German Wilhelm Kuhnert (1865-1926) who was famous for his wild life paintings on location including tigers.

All pictures borrowed freely from the Internet for friendly,educational and non commercial use only.

Visit my new swap and shop gallery: Galerie Souris or Mousehole Gallery. 

It hasn't opened officially but you're invited to have a peek. 

You'll find the Resting Tiger and many other works of art/ 

Gerrit Willem Dijsselhof: Artis Aquarium

Gerrit Willem Dijsselhof

(1866 – 1924)

Dutch painter, decorative artist, designer.

Gerrit Dijsselhof was one of the most important artists in the Duth Arts and Crafts period and is considered the founder of the Nieuwe Kunst (New Art) in the Netherlands.

Sea Anemones

He was trained in the Academy of Figurative Art in the Haque 1882-1884 and later attended the Amsterdam Arts and Crafts school 1884-1886. He was educated to become an all round artist in painting, batik, textiles and furniture design, glasswork and book illustrations.

Dijsselhof started his career as a painter of landscapes but in particular of fishes and sea creatures in the Amsterdam Artis Zoo aquarium. Making his sketches in pencil and watercolor in the corridors only dimly lit by the filtered lights from the aquariums he must have met Jan Voerman Jr. and Adriaan van’t Hoff, artist appearing in the two preceding postings . They also found inspiration in the Zoo Aquarium and the mysterious underwater world displayed there. Artis Zoo Aquarium opened in 1882 (see recent previous postings).

All his life Dijsselhof stayed dedicated transforming his aquarium sketches into these wonderful dreamy oil paintings. I have found some 40 examples in museum and auction cataloques. Their has never been a book or exposition on his work. I show you 10 of my most favorite here.

These timeless and dreamy painting have always been very in demand. The way he was able to imitate the silent world with soft light in this impressionistic style makes him quite unique among contemporary artist and fellow painters

Later Dijsselhof developed into a Dutch equivalent of Scottish Charles Rennie MacKintosh ( 1868 – 1928). Without the professional architectural background, but designing furniture, lamps and even complete interiors.

His work is represented in many Dutch museums and in the Hague a complete room designed by him saved, restored and rebuild in 1935 in the local communal museum.

This posting concludes three postings on 3 contemporary artists that were inspired by the Artis Zoo Aquarium and played all three an important role in Dutch art (Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Arts and Crafts) Nieuwe Kunst) in the first quarter of the twentieth century.