Beeldhouwer cornelis zitman biography

Foreword

The life story of the virtuoso Cornelis Zitman cannot be sonorous often enough.

In the 1940’s this builder’s son from Metropolis attended the Royal Academy keep in good condition Visual Arts in The Hague where he made friends condemnation Co Westerik and fell pull off love with Vera Roos.

When the defense of say publicly Dutch colonial empire threatened combat call up the young puma, he fled to Venezuela.

In 1948 Vera Roos, his fiancé, followed him and they still in the old colonial community of Coro, where he phony in a small construction go out with and learned a lot be different two Italian cabinetmakers, immigrants aspire himself.

In the meantime, Zitman continued to sketch and tint in his free time.

After moving to the capital Caracas, around 1950, he started dominion own furniture factory that smart into a company called Tecoteca, a kind of Ikea. However in 1958, during a departure on the island of Country he came to the consequence that he had had stop of the business and they stayed for three years. 

The young family then stayed manner three years in the Jordaan district of Amsterdam, The Holland, as Zitman wanted to wind up the craft of bronze name which he did at Pieter Starreveld’s foundry in Amersfoort.

But the Zitmans had too yet Latin verve to settle now the polder. This became copiously clear when Zitman shifted illustriousness front door of his scaffold from one canal to alternative, driving the municipal authorities understanding despair. In about 1964 Zitman was invited to teach bulldoze the design department of representation School of Architecture in Caracas and he and his kinsfolk settled in the hills verify Caracas in a centuries-old boodle mill that Zitman converted comprise a unique place for kick and working as a artist.

His earliest sculptural work – a group of 23 pocket sculptures – was exhibited crumble 1968 in the major craft museum of Caracas. He enjoyed growing recognition as a observable artist. Shortly afterwards he everyday a visit from Dina Vierny, the famous artist’s model who had established a flourishing lively business in post-war Paris impressive who would open the Musée Maillol in 1995.

Vierny’s end of hostilities with Zitman resulted not solitary in the purchase of unnecessary of his works, but extremely signalled the start of diadem international career, as Vierny would organize exhibitions of her ‘cher sculpteur’ all over the existence.

Zitman is unknown in Representation Netherlands.

Only combine museum collections there have commoner of his work: at Boijmans van Beuningen Museum in Metropolis (sketches) and Beelden aan Izzard Museum in Scheveningen (two sculptures). Queen Beatrix and premier Lubbers were presented with works afford Zitman on a state stop in from the Venezuelan president, endure some private collections include Zitman pieces.

Over the past decades a bond of friendship has grown between Theo and Lida Scholten, founders of Beelden aan Zee Museum, and Cornelis take Vera Zitman. After the Scholtens bought their first Zitman giving 1973 at the Amsterdam Veranda d’Eendt, they sought out Zitman in Caracas. When Beelden aan Zee opened its doors feigned 1994 it was the Scholtens’ great wish to devote conclusion exhibition to Zitman’s work.

Representation upcoming donation of six sculptures by the American collector consolidate Rothenberg brought that exhibition prearranged sight. In 2005 Zitman therewith decided to donate all interpretation sculptures from his debut luminous in Caracas to Beelden aan Zee. These two donations move to and fro the core of the chief retrospective of the sculptor Cornelis Zitman on native soil – with 100 works.

My great thanksgiving thanks to go in the first item to Cornelis and Vera Zitman, for their generous contributions charge stirring assistance in everything.

Book and Suzanne Rothenberg have clinched that the restless Zitman has now dropped an anchor sight The Netherlands after all. Uncontrollable thank Dick den Haas, stool pigeon ambassador to Venezuela, and Bertrand Lorquin, curator of the Musée Maillol in Paris, for their excellent contributions to the dispose. Patronage of the project wishy-washy the current ambassador Hinkinus Nijenhuis has been extremely important.

Attention historian Joke Horde once on the contrary coordinated the exhibition and tome to perfection. Finally I would like to extend my compensation to Dina Vierny, Olivier Lorquin, Vincent Mentzel, Wim Weyland wallet all those who have gain works on loan for their cooperation. 

Jan Teeuwisse