Jan Van Der Kooi
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Jan van der Kooi (born in
Groningen Groningen ( , ; ; or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. Dubbed the "capital of the north", Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of ...
, January 16, 1957) is a Dutch painter and drawer in the style of
figurative art Figurative art, sometimes written as figurativism, describes artwork (particularly paintings and sculptures) that is clearly derived from real object sources and so is, by definition, representational. The term is often in contrast to abstract a ...
s. He is often regarded as the best contemporary Dutch drawer and painter.


Education

Van der Kooi spent his childhood in
Bedum Bedum (; ) is a former Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality and a town in the northeastern Netherlands. Populated by an unknown number of inhabitants () in , Bedum is one of the larger of Groningen (city), Groningen's several satellite ...
. From 1980 to 1983 he studied at the art Academy Minerva in Groningen, where his teachers were
Matthijs Röling Matthijs Nicolaas Röling (31 March 1943 – 10 July 2024) was a Dutch painter, active as graphic designer, wall painter, painter, draftsman, lithographer, pen artist, etcher, and academy lecturer. He is considered a kindred spirit of the 3rd gen ...
and Martin Tissing.RKD Profile
Netherlands Institute for Art History, retrieved February 24, 2015.


Work

After his studies, he moved to the province of
Friesland Friesland ( ; ; official ), historically and traditionally known as Frisia (), named after the Frisians, is a Provinces of the Netherlands, province of the Netherlands located in the country's northern part. It is situated west of Groningen (p ...
, where he started to work in the area of
Drachten Drachten (, ) is a town in the northern Netherlands. It is located in the municipality of Smallingerland, Friesland. It had a population of around 56.098 in 2023 and is the Friesland#Urban areas, second largest town in the province of Friesland. ...
. Van der Kooi paints and draws landscapes, still lifes, portraits, nudes and animals.Jan van der Kooi
Biography on publisher Art Revisited's website, retrieved February 5, 2015
Van der Kooi particularly focuses on painting sunlight in different places and climates, such as Peru, Nepal and Israel. Every year he visits Italy, where he studies the sunlight and landscapes of
Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...
and
Tuscany Tuscany ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of 3,660,834 inhabitants as of 2025. The capital city is Florence. Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its in ...
.Jan van der Kooi painter, drawer
Publisher Art Revisited's website on the book, retrieved February 5, 2015
Since 2007 he gives master classes at the Classical Academy for painters in Groningen, and since 2014 he gives master classes in the
Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...
. An
Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
i painter invited Van der Kooi to come and give seminars, because there are few classical painters in Israel and
Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...
due to the region's relatively short history in classical art.Jan van der Kooi, veel uit te pluizen en bloot te leggen (Jan van der Kooi, much to discover)
Friesch Dagblad The ''Friesch Dagblad'' (; the first word is spelled ''Fries'' in modern Dutch) is a Dutch daily newspaper founded in 1903. It covers the region of Friesland with news reports written from a protestant perspective. ''Friesch Dagblad'' and its c ...
December 6, 2014
In 2002 the life and works of Van der Kooi were featured on the national news and a documentary on the Dutch national television; in 2004 the educational children's television series ''
Het Klokhuis ''Het Klokhuis'' ( Dutch for "The Applecore") is a daily documentary show for primary school children and young teenagers produced by ntr of the Netherlands. It first aired on 3 January 1988. It is broadcast every weekday at 18:25 on NPO 3 ...
'' had an episode about Van der Kooi’s drawings of tigers.Simpelweg licht, kleur en verf (Only light, colour and paint)
Dagblad van het Noorden The ''Dagblad van het Noorden'' (; ), abbreviated as ''DvhN'', is a Dutch regional daily newspaper that is published and circulated in the provinces of Groningen and Drenthe in the northeastern Netherlands. The newspaper is owned by Mediahuis. Er ...
November 9, 2007
In 2007 his British friend and colleague
Michael Reynolds Mick, Mike or Michael Reynolds may refer to: Actors *Mike Reynolds (actor) (1929–2022), American voice actor and writer *Michael Reynolds, British actor in one episode of BBC's ''David Copperfield'' (1966) and ''The First Churchills'' (1969) * Mi ...
invited Van der Kooi to participate in an exhibition of the
Royal Society of Portrait Painters The Royal Society of Portrait Painters is a charity based at Carlton House Terrace, SW1, London that promotes the practice and appreciation of portraiture art. Its Annual Exhibition of portraiture is held at Mall Galleries, and it runs a commi ...
in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
Engelsen ontdekken schilder Jan van der Kooi (The English discover painter Jan van der Kooi)
Leeuwarder Courant February 5, 2007
and later that year
Dame Emma Kirkby Dame Carolyn Emma Kirkby, (; born 26 February 1949) is an English soprano and early music specialist. She has sung on over 100 recordings. Education and early career Kirkby was educated at Hanford School, Sherborne School for Girls in Dorse ...
and
Anthony Rooley Anthony Rooley (born 10 June 1944 in Leeds) is a British lutenist. Career In 1969, Rooley founded and directed the early music ensemble The Consort of Musicke, which continues to be one of the chief vehicles for his inspiration, among many o ...
performed at the opening of Van der Kooi's exhibition in in
Eelde Eelde () is a town in the Dutch province of Drenthe. It is a part of the municipality of Tynaarlo, and lies about 9 km south of Groningen. Groningen Airport Eelde is located near the village. Eelde was a separate municipality until 1998, w ...
. In 2009 the four Dutch figurative painters Matthijs Röling, Pieter Pander, Pieter Knorr and Jan van der Kooi were invited by a gallery owner in
Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...
to exhibit their works on a joint exhibition entitled ''The four greats from the north''.Noordelijke realisten naar Antwerpen (Northern realistic painters exhibit in Antwerp)
Leeuwarder Courant September 9, 2009
Friese kunst in Antwerpen (Frisian art in Antwerp)
Friesch Dagblad Oktober 3, 2009
In 2012 posters of Van der Kooi’s tiger drawings were displayed at Dutch national railway stations to promote the exhibition in the
Dordrechts Museum Dordrechts Museum is an art museum in Dordrecht, Netherlands. The museum was founded in 1842 and has a collection of artists of painting and other artistic objects from the last six centuries. The permanent collection includes numerous paintings f ...
. Van der Kooi makes drawings in a book that was also used by
Michelangelo Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (6March 147518February 1564), known mononymously as Michelangelo, was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was inspir ...
and
Raphael Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino (; March 28 or April 6, 1483April 6, 1520), now generally known in English as Raphael ( , ), was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. List of paintings by Raphael, His work is admired for its cl ...
and which has been in the possession of
Christina, Queen of Sweden Christina (; 18 December O.S. 8 December">Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="nowiki/>Old Style and New Style dates">O.S. 8 December1626 – 19 April 1689), a member of the House of Vasa, was Monarchy of Sweden, Queen of Sweden from ...
.


Exhibitions

*1985 An art fair in
Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
. *2002 Museum De Buitenplaats, in Eelde. At this exhibition the book ''Jan van der Kooi, painter, drawer'' was presented. *2005 Exhibition at Laurentius in
Middelburg Middelburg may refer to: Places and jurisdictions Europe * Middelburg, Zeeland, the capital city of the province of Zeeland, southwestern Netherlands ** Roman Catholic Diocese of Middelburg, a former Catholic diocese with its see in the Zeeland ...
. Presentation of the book compiled with animal drawings from sketch books ''Bestiarium''. *2007 London: The Royal Society of Portrait Painters, following an invitation by the
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
friend and colleague Michael Reynolds, and an exhibition in Museum De Buitenplaats, in Eelde. *2009
Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...
: ''The four greats from the north'' exhibition of the four northern Dutch painters Matthijs Röling, Pieter Pander, Pieter Knorr and Jan van der Kooi. *2012 ''Leonardo’s student'' exhibition at Dordrechts Museum, visited by more than 35.000 people. During this exhibition the book ''Jan van der Kooi, drawer, painter'' was presented. To promote this exhibition tiger drawings by Van der Kooi were displayed at Dutch national railway stations.Jan van der Kooi, Meestertekenaar (Master drawer)
Dutch documentary made by Frank Peters on behalf of the Dordrechts Museum
*2013 ''A Frisian painter in Italy'' in Museum Martena in
Franeker Franeker (; ) is one of the eleven historical City rights in the Low Countries, cities of Friesland and capital of the municipality of Waadhoeke. It is located north of the Van Harinxmakanaal and about west of Leeuwarden. As of 2023, it had 13,0 ...
. *2014 Theme exhibition about sunlight in Museum Arti Legi in Gouda. This exhibition was opened by the Dutch comedian Paul van Vliet;
Princess Beatrix Beatrix (Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard, ; born 31 January 1938) is a member of the Dutch royal house who reigned as List of monarchs of the Netherlands, Queen of the Netherlands from 30 April 1980 until her abdication in 2013. Beatrix was born ...
later visited the exhibition. *2017 Double exhibition ''Meisterzeichner - Weltentdecker'' ("Master drawer - explorer") in
Rheine Rheine () is a city in the district of Steinfurt (district), Steinfurt in Westphalia, Germany. It is the largest city in the district and the location of Rheine Air Base. Geography Rheine is on the river Ems (river), Ems, about north of Münster ...
,
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
.“Een vernieuwer ben ik niet, ik wil mooi werk maken”
Actief 22 March 2017


Books

*1995 - ''Recent works (Recent werk)''. Jan van der Kooi & Jaap Bruintjes. Publisher Art Media, Amsterdam. *2002 - ''Jan van der Kooi painter, drawer (schilder, tekenaar)''. Introductory written by Eric Bos & Diederik Kraaijpoel. Publisher Art Revisited, Marum. *2005 - ''Bestiarium''. Featuring an introduction written by Theo Laurentius. Publisher Art Revisited, Marum. *2007 - ''Close at hand (Binnen handbereik)''. Compiled by Peter de Jong & Jan van der Kooi, introduction written by Pauline Broekema. Publisher Art Revisited, Marum. *2012 - ''Jan van der Kooi drawer, painter (tekenaar, schilder)''. Frits Duparc &
Nicolaas Matsier Nicolaas Matsier (born Krommenie, 25 May 1945) is a Dutch novelist. Nicolaas Matsier is a pseudonym of Tjit Reinsma. Prizes * 1987: Zilveren Griffel for ''Ida stak een zebra over''. * 1995: Ferdinand Bordewijk Prize for his novel '' Gesloten hui ...
. Publisher Thoth, Bussum. *2014 - ''Sunlight (Zonlicht)''. In conjunction with the theme exhibition in Arti Legi.


Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kooi, Jan van der 1957 births Living people 20th-century Dutch painters Dutch male painters 21st-century Dutch painters Dutch landscape painters Dutch still life painters Painters from Groningen 20th-century Dutch male artists