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Petronella "Nel" Helene Klaassen (1906-1989) was a
Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...
sculptor.


Biography

Klaassen was born on 21 October 1906 in
Arnhem Arnhem ( or ; german: Arnheim; South Guelderish: ''Èrnem'') is a city and municipality situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands about 55 km south east of Utrecht. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland, located on both banks of ...
. She studied at the ''
Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten The Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten (State Academy of Fine Arts) was founded in 1870 in Amsterdam. It is a classical academy, a place where philosophers, academics and artists meet to test and exchange ideas and knowledge. The school supports ...
'' (State Academy of Fine Arts) in Amsterdam. She was taught by , and
Richard Roland Holst Richard Nicolaüs Roland Holst (4 December 1868, Amsterdam - 31 December 1938, Bloemendaal) was a Dutch painter, draftsman, lithographer, book cover designer, etcher and writer. Many of his works were in a modified Symbolist style. Life and work ...
. In 1932 Klaassen won a
Prix de Rome The Prix de Rome () or Grand Prix de Rome was a French scholarship for arts students, initially for painters and sculptors, that was established in 1663 during the reign of Louis XIV of France. Winners were awarded a bursary that allowed them t ...
for monumental and decorative sculpture. She used the prize to study in Rome and to travel to London and Paris. In 1934 she settled in Amsterdam with fellow artist Jaap Bouhuys (1902-1983). The couple eventually married in 1958. They worked together and the couple also collaborated with the architect . Klaassen received commissions throughout the 1930s. Klaassen's work was included in the 1939 exhibition and sale ''
Onze Kunst van Heden Onze Kunst van Heden (Contemporary Artists/Our Art of Today) was an exhibition held in the winter of 1939 through 1940 at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Due to the threat of invasion in the years leading up to World War II, the Netherlands' go ...
'' (Our Art of Today) at the
Rijksmuseum The Rijksmuseum () is the national museum of the Netherlands dedicated to Dutch arts and history and is located in Amsterdam. The museum is located at the Museum Square in the borough of Amsterdam South, close to the Van Gogh Museum, the St ...
in Amsterdam. In 1949 Klaassen was chosen to create a monument in Arnhem honoring women in wartime. Critics complained that the image was too modern and unfeminine. She continued receiving commissions for monuments, mosaics, tapestries, and murals through the 1950s and 1960s, and 1970s, including a mural for the Electrical Engineering building at the
Delft University of Technology Delft University of Technology ( nl, Technische Universiteit Delft), also known as TU Delft, is the oldest and largest Dutch public technical university, located in Delft, Netherlands. As of 2022 it is ranked by QS World University Rankings among ...
. She also exhibited with Sonsbeek and Sint Lucas Klaassen died on 30 September 1989 in
Heemstede Heemstede () is a town and a municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is the fourth richest municipality of the Netherlands. History Heemstede formed around the Castle ''Heemstede'' that was built overlooking the ...
.


Gallery

In de Cluys 1.JPG, Facade relief In de Cluys, 1942, Nel Klaassen, Markt Middelburg, above bank. Mozaïek-Lorentzgebouw.jpg, Mosaic in the hall of the Lorentz building, Nel Klaassen


References


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Klaassen, Nel 1906 births 1989 deaths 20th-century Dutch women artists 20th-century Dutch sculptors People from Arnhem Dutch women sculptors