Johan Coenraad Braakensiek (24 May 1858 – 27 February 1940) was a Dutch painter, illustrator and

political cartoonist An editorial cartoonist, also known as a political cartoonist, is an artist who draws editorial cartoons that contain some level of political or social commentary. Their cartoons are used to convey and question an aspect of daily news or curre ...

. He is the grandfather of

Jan van Oort Jan van Oort (13 April 1921 – 29 November 2006) was a Dutch children's book writer and comic strip cartoonist, working under the pseudonym of Jean Dulieu. He is known for his creation of ''Paulus the woodgnome''. Personal biography Jan va ...

Personal life

Braakensiek was born in

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban ar ...

, the son of Albert Braakensiek, an illustrator and

lithographer Lithography () is a planographic method of printing originally based on the immiscibility of oil and water. The printing is from a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a smooth surface. It was invented in 1796 by the German a ...

, and Wilhelmina Charlotta Elizabeth Anna Moolenizjer. He left school at age 11 and took a job in a fashion shop as a designer/ embroider. He attended art classes by JB Tetar at the same time, at which his personal drawings were noticed by art critic Martin Klaff who recommended he take the

entrance exam In education, an entrance examination or admission examination is an examination that educational institutions conduct to select prospective students. It may be held at any stage of education, from primary to tertiary, even though it is typicall ...

to the State Academy of Fine Arts, in Amsterdam from which he eventually graduated in 1881. He was married on 23 September 1888 to Pietertje Kooijman. They had three daughters.

Work

For most of his career, Braakensiek worked for a number of publishers as an illustrator. However, he also found work as a political cartoonist for the magazines ''Geïllustreerd Politie-Nieuws'', ''De Amsterdammer'' and ''De Groene Amsterdammer''. His first work was with ''Geïllustreerd Politie-Nieuws'' where he contributed infrequently. His break and rise in popularity came in 1886 when he was made the political cartoonist for ''De Amsterdammer'' magazine. He also was affiliated with ''De Groene Amsterdammer'' magazine from 1925 to 1931. He is buried at Zorgvlied cemetery.

Popularity

Braakensiek remains popular thanks to the books he worked on as illustrator. Books such as ''Van Allerlei Slag'' and ''Uit het leven van Dik Trom'', which feature his art are widely known and read. His work is also featured in a number of text books in the Netherlands.

References

External links

Braakensiek BiographyGoogle Translation
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Braakensiek, Johan 1858 births 1940 deaths Dutch illustrators Dutch editorial cartoonists Painters from Amsterdam 19th-century Dutch painters Dutch male painters 20th-century Dutch painters 19th-century Dutch male artists 20th-century Dutch male artists