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/ 

Jac. J Koeman and the Artis Zoo Aquarium

Jacobus Jan Koeman
(Edam 1889- Bergen 1978)

Landscape and flower painter, watercolor, grafic and ceramic artist, sculptor.

Jac. Koeman attended the Kunstnijverheids (Arts and Craft) school in Amsterdam and worked in Paris and London. He is in the Netherlands most famous because of his wonderful and unforgettable illustrations of many Verkade albums (see posting of September 20th or use the Blogs search options above). Making him a colleague of father and son Jan Voerman.


His paintings, lithographs, pastels and watercolors pictures of tropical fish are unequalled but by maybe one artist in the world: Gerrit Dijsselhof (1866-1924). These artistic renderings and compositions far more capable of catching and transferring the atmosphere then (even modern) photography can ever hope to achieve. When I saw Koemans school of fish as a child there was no way stopping me wanting to create such a wonderful and mystic world for myself. And I did.

Dozens of these little jewels litter the pages of the Aquarium Volume of 1925.

Both artists found inspiration in the beginning of the 20th century world famous Artis Aquarium (Amsterdam Zoo). It is still a wonderful place to be. When ever I visit a city I just have to pay a visit the local Zoo Aquarium.

1930's pastel by P. Zwart, an unknown artist.

Moonfish, 1930's pastel by Alb. Schram an also very obscured artist but with lots of talent.

I cannot resist these terribly out of fashion pastels, I love them every day I see them even more.

Jac J. Koeman will return in postings to come since I plan showing more examples of the wonderful Verkade Album Art (1905-1940), hardly known outside the Netherlands.

Postings on Gerard Dijsselhof (1866-1924) are in preparation and will follow soon.

Please let me know what you think of this and other postings by leaving a comment.

Alberta Johanna Meijer Smetz

Alberta Johanna Meijer-Smetz
(1893-1953)

Dutch flower and stillife painter, illustrator and etcher.

Alberta entered the Rijksacademie in Amsterdam and took drawing and painting lessons. She later married one of her teachers the painter Johannes Meyer (1875-1970).

She painted mainly flowers, and how well she did. This lovely little Nasturtiums in a ginger jar was my first acquaintance with Alberta Smetz collecting pictures and examples of Nasturtiums in paintings and printings in the Arts and Crafts period. She and her husband became members of the Laren art colony. They lived in Blaricum.
As often, once interested I shortly after found these poppies in a blue vase on a local market and recognized the maker. It's a gouache with a beautiful of the period but damaged frame which I patiently repaired.

Alberta illustrated and designed catalogues for florists (bread and butter) and also made the pictures for this 1930�s album-book to be filled with pictures. This time not collected by eating biscuits, like the famous Verkade albums (see posting of sept. 20th) but drinking coffee and tea. Like the Verkade albums it is stacked with great pictures like this nasturtiums I found inside.

A printed copy of a gouache. I love nasturtiums and these are just great. Good enough to award and honour Alberta Smetz with a small posting.

Ginger jars and flowers, Part I

Ginger jars and flower still life. Part I

Anke Brokstra
Contemporary Dutch opera singer and painter.

Nasturtiums in old blue ginger jar

I’ve had for a long time the wish of doing a posting on this subject, one of the most pleasing and aesthetic combinations for over a century in still life art. I find. What better time than autumn to enjoy the ginger jar filled with autumn flowers: anemones, nasturtiums, chrysanthemums, Chinese lanterns, a branch with red berries or rose hips?

A survey into the historical context and wondering about this composition, endlessly repeated by Dutch painters, to be perhaps a local affair or an international recognized theme.
There are, but not many, examples on woodblock prints. So a selection of paintings in oil will have to do the illustrations.

It is told that a student of Jan Voerman sr. (1857–1941) on her way to the studio lessons saw on a boat a large soda-filled pot with the “most exquisite blues and grays” and telling her teacher about it. On his advice she went back and she was allowed to buy the pot from the woman on the boat and she brought it to the studio where it served as a painting ornament in floral still life lessons. The pot later came in the Voerman family and Jan sr. painted it. (above)

His son Jan Voerman jr. (1890-1976), from the Verkade Albums (see the earlier posting) also contributed a wonderful ginger jar composition. (left).

They were among the first of the modern Dutch painters to use the decorative strenght and beauty of the ginger jar. And Vincent, and many others ofcourse.

The classic Quin dynasty (1644-1912) glazed pots were both used as storage and gift pots. Holding and storing preserved vegetables, herbs and spices, not only ginger. And used as New Year gifts. Chinese New Year, not parallel with western N.Y. but later so often decorated with spring symbols.

Or wedding gifts decorated with the Chinese “double happiness” symbol (right).

Or just plain, rural storage or export pots. With a few strikes of blue glaze only

I think two main and plain types, regularly seen, can be distinguished. Besides the luxury and richly glazed and decorated pots.

The deep green glazed 6 sided jar and the classic round grey-bluish glazed and sometimes with a rougher grey/blue/green glaze (picture)

Bertha Plekker-Müller (1883-1968) Narsturtiums in Ginger jar (right)

The 6 sided green type is very widely spread and around in huge numbers. In the Netherlands. I hardly see them in other countries. They must have been more related to some export products. There is not much literature on this matter to be found. Many paintings were produced (1880-1940) with this type of jar, fairly exclusively by Dutch turn of the century and Arts and Crafts period painters.

Who hasn’t started a collection of these jars, the nicest ones to find are the green-bluish ones, with chunky and fat glazes. Many have an age old feeling and often are really quite old (18/19th century) You can pick them up at any carboot sale for next to nothing.

The bluish grey classic Chinese pot is also a characteristic but not an exclusively Dutch find. I see them in England but hardly if ever in France or Germany. But maybe I am wrong.

This type of decoration and or motif often is seen in Dutch pots (right)

They are regularly and often offered as findings in 18th/19th century city dumps and archeological excavations. Having a matching lid raises prices considerably. But who needs a lid?

The extra patina from their stay in the ground even enhance their decorative value. (left)

These type of jars/pots are still affordable but never dead-cheap fleemarket finds.

Closing this Part I is again a contemporary and internationally renowned Dutch still life painter: Henk Helmantel (1945- ) and his Autumn Jar with rose-hips composition.

I can understand readers will feel that after reading this posting they cannot live without such a decorative necessarie in the autumnal house and will immediately start hunting for a nice specimen.

To be continued soon...............

Octobert 17th:

The artist Anke Brokstra who kindly gave permission to use the lovely first picture of this posting told me the original painting in oil is still for sale at € 600.

Blankenburg

E.G. (Bert) van Heusden1901-1983
Doctor, painter, poet and linocut printer

In 1586 permission was granted to build a house and a decoy to catch wild ducks on a newly formed sandbank in the immense Dutch river delta. First inhabitants were tenants Dirk Ariensz. Bisdommer and his son. 20 years before the first dikes were constructed to claim new land in the river Maas.

Other parts of the island and later adjacent sandbanks were also embanked and made dry (poldered). The Dutch way, claiming and reclaiming land, colonizing and working it. 60 years later a first church was build around a thriving agricultural community.

The Island grew slowly and moved naturally into the direction of the North sea. Thus blocking the passageway between Brielle and Maassluis, two of the Netherlands oldest cities. A road was build across the island to connect new ferry heads. New communities came to life. The island was named Rozenburg. The village, with a church, cemetery, school, village hall and doctors house: Blankenburg.

The wild western part of the Island was mainly formed by the sea after the digging and completion of the Nieuwe Waterweg (New Waterway) in 1872. Rotterdam's canalized outlet to the North Sea. This part of the island was called de Beer (the bear) also known as Bird Island. In the 1920’s some 150 species of birds were counted here.
This bird and wildlife sanctuary world famous in the Netherlands. Jac.P. Thijsse, Dutch naturalist and Verkade Album contributor, wrote about it. A nature reserve in the heart of one of the world’s busiest parts and ports.

Until the 1960’s. Most of the island was evacuated, farmhouses demolished and all was covered with 6 meters of sand to create Europoort: the world’s largest seaport of Rotterdam.

The sad thing about progression is that it is unstoppable. A society, a whole world and way of living vanished. Were once farmers farmed, people loved, died and were burried now endless rows of oil storage tanks and refineries dominate the horizon and mammoth ships dock.

There are not many pictures left of the old island situation. Some maps, of course. Everything is mapped in the Netherlands. Some drawings and some old photo’s. This Google Earth photo showing how man is capable of changing his environment.

Then, some years ago I haggled from a second hand bookshop dealer a bundle of small linocuts. On the other side of the country.

Very elegant and artistic pictures. Farmhouses, a ferry-dam, a church, the river Maas. The cover page also cut in linoleum in stylish Art Deco characters: Een land onder het mes (A land under the knife). The makers signature a mystery. Only last week his identity was revealed to me..

Linoleum Snedes en Druk van E.G. van Heusden. When you know it you see it and can read it. Bert van Heusden after medical school started his career in 1926 as the Islands doctor. As I did exactly 50 years later. Other Island. The cover and title of his album a clever and humorous clue to both his artistic and professional careers.

An estimate is he made the prints around 1930. I have no idea of the edition size of the album. This one is numbered 04.
He was an amateur painter and wrote poetry as well. His painting was regarded professional and his poetry during his lifetime highly respected and loved.

In later life doctor van Heusden specialized in rheumathic diseases and disorders. Bert van Heusden died in Arnhem in 1983.

Could he have foreseen cutting in linoleum and printing his images of a 400 year old landscape on thin Japan paper that was to disappear forever only 30 years later?

To honor him I show you all of his 12 chosen and vanished monuments of

BLANKENBURG (1568-1965)

You are invited to leave a comment when you enjoyed this posting as I did making it or otherwise found the reading interesting.

Double mouse-click on most pictures for larger images

If you are really interested: these prints are for sale, matted and framed, contact me at: g.caspers@hccnet.nl