Dirk Cornelis "Dick" Elffers (Rotterdam, 9 December 1910 – Amsterdam, 17 June 1990) was a Dutch artist.

Life

Elffers was trained at the Academie voor Beeldende Kunsten (Rotterdam) as graphic designer. While at Rotterdam, he developed a more expressive and individualistic style, often combining hand-drawn typography, illustration, and vibrant colors. From this, his development turned him into a versatile artist: illustrator, painter, printmaker, book binding designer, sculptor, ceramist and photographer. After Efflers' time at Rotterdam, he became an assistant to Paul Schuitema and

Piet Zwart Piet Zwart (; 28 May 1885 – 24 September 1977) was a Dutch photographer, typography, typographer, and industrial designer. Biography Early life Piet Zwart was born on May 28, 1885, in Zaandijk. He trained as an architect, and began graphic ...

. Besides performer from 1970 to 1976 he was lecturer in monumental art at the

AKV St. Joost St. Joost School of Art and Design (formerly Academy of Art and Design St. Joost, Dutch ''Akademie voor Kunst en Vormgeving St. Joost, Breda'') is a Dutch academy of art and design based in Breda and 's-Hertogenbosch. The school is part of Avans ...

in 's-Hertogenbosch. Elffers received the State Award for Typography for his typographic work. Elffers' work is included in the collection of the

Joods Historisch Museum The (; ), part of the Jewish Cultural Quarter, is a museum in Amsterdam dedicated to Jewish history, culture and religion, in the Netherlands and worldwide. It is the only museum in the Netherlands dedicated to Jewish history. History The Jood ...

. Elffers was also involved as a designer at the

Rijksmuseum Amsterdam 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 Museumplein, Museum Square in the stadsdeel, borough of Amsterdam-Zuid, Amsterdam South, ...

, both in the graphic design of the museum and the exhibit design. Notably, he worked on projects like the 1965 exhibition "40 Years of Lace," showcasing his skills in integrating visual and spatial design for cultural institutions. His broader career at the museum is less precisely documented, but his association with this work places him as a key figure in museum design during the mid-20th century. Elffers' 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' g ...

'' (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 S ...

in Amsterdam.

Family

Dick Elffers was the son of Gerard Elffers (1868–1941) and Petronella Smits (1870–1912). He had 13 brothers and sisters. His brother Kees was an architect, his sister Jo interior designer. Dick was married in 1941 with the photographer

Emmy Andriesse Emmy Eugenie Andriesse (14 January 1914, The Hague – 20 February 1953, Amsterdam) was a Dutch photographer best known for her work with the Amsterdam Underground Camera group () during World War II. Early life and education Emmy Andriesse w ...

(1914–1953), and remarried in 1954 Mien Harmsen (1915–2000). He is the father of writer, artist and illustrator Joost Elffers.

References

External links

Elffers, Dick
at capriolus.nl
Work of Elffers
in the Moma collection. {{DEFAULTSORT:Elffers, Dirk Cornelis 1910 births 1990 deaths Dutch designers Dutch sculptors Dutch male sculptors People from Leiderdorp 20th-century Dutch ceramists

Life

Family

See also

References

External links