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

illustrator An illustrator is an artist who specializes in enhancing writing or elucidating concepts by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text or idea. The illustration may be intended to clarify complicate ...

, caricaturist 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 current ...

. He is the grandfather of Jan van Oort.

Personal life

Braakensiek was born in

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...

, 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 ...

, and Wilhelmina Charlotta Elizabeth Anna Moolenizjer. He left school at age 11 and took a job in a fashion shop as a designer/

embroider Embroidery is the art of decorating fabric or other materials using a needle to stitch thread or yarn. It is one of the oldest forms of textile art, with origins dating back thousands of years across various cultures. Common stitches found ...

. He attended art classes by JB Tetar at the same time, at which his personal drawings were noticed by

art critic An art critic is a person who is specialized in analyzing, interpreting, and evaluating art. Their written critiques or reviews contribute to art criticism and they are published in newspapers, magazines, books, exhibition brochures, and catalogue ...

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

Lambiek Comiclopedia biography.

Braakensiek BiographyGoogle Translation
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Braakensiek, Johan 1858 births 1940 deaths 19th-century Dutch illustrators 20th-century Dutch illustrators Dutch caricaturists Dutch editorial cartoonists Dutch political artists Dutch magazine cartoonists Painters from Amsterdam 19th-century Dutch painters Dutch male painters Burials at Zorgvlied Cemetery 20th-century Dutch painters 19th-century Dutch male artists 20th-century Dutch male artists Alumni of Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten Dutch children's book illustrators