Category Archive

Kees Kelfkens (1919 – 1986) The poster “Geef een boek” (Give a book) which graphic designer Kees Kelfkens designed for the Stichting Collectieve Propaganda van het Nederlandse Boek (CPNB) has a fine place in the Cat Cabinet. This poster was the picture for the Book Week campaign of CPNB in 1958. Kees Kelfkens, full name Cornelis Johannes Kelfkens, was born … Read More

Viktor IV (1929 – 1986) A striking artist from Amsterdam: Viktor IV. Born in New York as Walter Karl Gluck, he spent a long time traveling through countries such as Mexico and Peru, working in Korea and Japan and afterward many countries in Europe before settling in 1961 in Amsterdam. In the heart of the city, on the Amstel, stood … Read More

Jean-Paul Vroom (1922-2006) In the Cat Cabinet hangs a unique silkscreen of a cat called Pompidou. The maker of this detailed work is Jean-Paul Vroom. In 1980 he produced this work of a curious cat in a wicker basket. Silkscreen was at the time known as a modern technique with which large shapes of color could be printed. Vroom developed, … Read More

Tsuguharu Foujita (1886-1968) One of the artists whose work is well-represented in the collection of the Cat Cabinet is the Japanese painter Tsuguharu Foujita. A lover of cats, the 1927 portrait of him and his cat by Dora Kalmus can also be seen at the museum. Foujita graduated from the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music at the … Read More

Hildo Krop (1884 -1970) Hildo Krop (1884 -1970) It’s almost impossible to wander through the city of Amsterdam and not see work by Hildo Krop, the chief sculptor of the city. Many bridges and buildings have sculptured work that Krop is primarily responsible for. The sculpture “Two Cats Making Love”, which can be seen at the Cat Cabinet, is clearly … Read More

Sal Meijer (1877 – 1965) SSal Meijer was born in 1877 in the Jewish neighborhood of Amsterdam. Sally (or Salomon) grew up in a diamond cutting family after the big prosperous period of diamond industry was over. When he was 13 there was nothing else for Sal to do but help his family business in their financial misery, and he … Read More

HENRIËTTE RONNER-KNIP (1821 – 1909) It was her father, Josephus Augustus Knip, who first taught Henriette basic brushstrokes. Josephus began his career working on wallpapers, but quickly left to focus on painting landscapes and animals. The parents took their children on many travels that they made to France to paint in the employ of the rich upper classes. It was … Read More

Han van Meegeren (1889-1947) The Cat Cabinet possesses a work by Han van Meegeren called “Jongen met Poes” (Child with Cat). The subject of the painting is his son Jacques van Meegeren. Note – this is a genuine original work of this Dutch painter who is mostly known as a master forger of Vermeer paintings. Van Meegeren studied Architecture under … Read More

Théophile Alexandre Steinlen (1859 – 1923) Who doesn’t know the black cat, with his frayed tail and yellow eyes looking haughtily at the world? The title of the poster “Tournée du Chat Noir avec Rodolphe Salis” is probably not well-known, but one look in the eyes of this cat and no one could forget him. Who was the man behind … Read More

Ed van der Elsken (1925-1990) Ed van der Elsken saw much of the world in his travels. Of particular importance for him during these travels was to meet people – the fascinating, characteristic residents of world cities such as Hong Kong, Tokyo, Paris and Amsterdam, as well as other locations in Africa and Japan, were the beloved subjects of his … Read More