Willem Gerard Hofker (1902-1981)
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Willem Gerard Hofker (1902-1981) was a Dutch painter, etcher, printmaker, and draftsman. He is well-known for his portrayal of Balinese people and landscapes.
Hofker was born in The Hague, Netherlands. His father named him after the painter Willem Witsen and gave him an early education in the arts; he arranged for art lessons with his namesake Witsen and also Isaac Israel. He studied art at the Rijksakademie voor Beeldende Kunsten (State Academy of Fine Arts) in Amsterdam. His art career started in earnest when he won 2nd place at the prestigious Prix de Rome. He began to receive commissions for murals and portraits, eventually being asked to paint Queen Wilhelmina for the Dutch East-Indies. He and his wife, Maria Rueter, delivered the painting to the colonies in 1938.
Hofker and Rueter liked Bali so much that they decided to stay, eventually settling in Ubud in 1940. Hofker painted his most famous works during this period, focussing on the people, culture, and landscapes of Bali. He strove to represent the different way of life that he experienced here compared with his metropolitan life back in the Netherlands. Unfortunately, wartime led to the couple's internment in several camps after they were forced to join the military, and when the war ended, the uncomfortable political climate caused them to return to the Netherlands in 1946, settling in Zomerdijkstraat, a suburb of Amsterdam.
On his return, Hofker was met with a host of portrait assignments, allowing his professional, if not creative, life to flourish. His representational paintings, however, did not find favor with an art scene which was increasingly turning toward abstraction. However, in the 1970s, the art world began to give his Bali paintings the attention they deserved. Such was his popularity that he was able to publish these works in a book entitled Bali gezien door Willem Hofker(Bali as seen by Willem Hofker) in 1978. Unfortunately, he passed away shortly after, in 1981. His works have only grown in popularity since his death and he remains a sought-after artist to this day.
Hofker was born in The Hague, Netherlands. His father named him after the painter Willem Witsen and gave him an early education in the arts; he arranged for art lessons with his namesake Witsen and also Isaac Israel. He studied art at the Rijksakademie voor Beeldende Kunsten (State Academy of Fine Arts) in Amsterdam. His art career started in earnest when he won 2nd place at the prestigious Prix de Rome. He began to receive commissions for murals and portraits, eventually being asked to paint Queen Wilhelmina for the Dutch East-Indies. He and his wife, Maria Rueter, delivered the painting to the colonies in 1938.
Hofker and Rueter liked Bali so much that they decided to stay, eventually settling in Ubud in 1940. Hofker painted his most famous works during this period, focussing on the people, culture, and landscapes of Bali. He strove to represent the different way of life that he experienced here compared with his metropolitan life back in the Netherlands. Unfortunately, wartime led to the couple's internment in several camps after they were forced to join the military, and when the war ended, the uncomfortable political climate caused them to return to the Netherlands in 1946, settling in Zomerdijkstraat, a suburb of Amsterdam.
On his return, Hofker was met with a host of portrait assignments, allowing his professional, if not creative, life to flourish. His representational paintings, however, did not find favor with an art scene which was increasingly turning toward abstraction. However, in the 1970s, the art world began to give his Bali paintings the attention they deserved. Such was his popularity that he was able to publish these works in a book entitled Bali gezien door Willem Hofker(Bali as seen by Willem Hofker) in 1978. Unfortunately, he passed away shortly after, in 1981. His works have only grown in popularity since his death and he remains a sought-after artist to this day.