Some work of one of my teachers Jac. J. Koeman

Before the second worldwar Jacobus Jan Koeman (1889-1978) was a well known artist in Holland. Specifically because of his work on the socalled Verkade albums, a marketing effort of a manufacturer of sweets and cookies. The album on the Aquarium was almost completely illustrated by Koeman and this laid the basis for the fine watercolors in his later career. It is still occasionally available on the second hand market.

Koeman had a daughter Ann with his first wife. The daughter from his second marriage with Ge Koeman-Meertens was Janna Tengbergen-Koeman. She died a few years ago without any close relatives.

My relationship with Koeman dates back to the sixties of the last century when he was already an old man. Sometime during the second worldwar his wife Ge approached my grandmother, who was a beautiful young woman then, with the request to allow her to paint her portrait.This happened and Koeman and his wife became a friend of the family. Later Koeman also painted a portrait of my grandmother. In the end his daughter Janna and my mother became best friends. Our family still has a lot of work and other material.

Koeman painted me and my dog Rimpel, when I was a toddler in 1957. His wife Ge also drew portraits of my parents. I must have been about 13 years old when I first went to Koeman's studio with a portofolio of drawings. He thought my work was promising and in the following years he regularly helped me to develop my skills. I also took lessons from his wife Ge Koeman-Meertens.

There is no comprehensive book or overview of the work of Jacobus Koeman. There is some information on him in the following book: Kunst zonder rugwind: http://www.antiqbook.nl/boox/scr/2236.shtml