Wikipedia

Nans van Leeuwen

In this Dutch name, the surname is van Leeuwen, not Leeuwen.

Nans van Leeuwen (23 December 1900 – 1 January 1995) was a prolific Dutch illustrator and author of children's books.[1]

Nans van Leeuwen
Born
Ferdinanda Emilia van Leeuwen

(1900-12-23)23 December 1900
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Died1 January 1995(1995-01-01) (aged 94)
Rotterdam, Netherlands
NationalityDutch
Alma materRijksakademie van beeldende kunsten
Known forChildren's book illustrations
Notable work"Piggelmee" books

Life

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Ferdinanda Emilia 'Nans' van Leeuwen was born in Amsterdam, the daughter of Klaas van Leeuwen, a painter and teacher. She graduated from the Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten (State Academy of Fine Arts) in Amsterdam in 1922.[2] She moved to Rotterdam, where she taught at a girls' school from 1922 to 1962.[2]

She began illustrating children's books in the 1920s for other authors, and she eventually began to write and illustrate her own books. She is best known as the illustrator of a series of children's books featuring a goblin named Piggelmee that were published as a form of advertising by the Van Nelle coffee company in the 1930s and 1940s.[2] The first of the Piggelmee books, Het tovervisje (Witchcraft, 1949), was based on a story by the Brothers Grimm.[3] Following this came De wonderschelp (The Wonder Shells, 1950), which was written in verse, and De Baas van Bos en Duin (The Boss of Forest and Dune, 1951).[3]

Her career spanned three decades, with her last work being published in the late 1950s.[4] Her style ranged from one that was strongly linear and akin to that of illustrators such as Maginel Wright Enright, Rie Cramer, and Mabel Betsy Hill to a softer style built on color washes.

Illustrated works

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Written by van Leeuwen

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  • Sneeuwpret (Snow Fun)
  • Sinterklaas is jarig (Sinter Klaas is a Year Old)
  • Schoonmaak bij de muisjes (Cleaning at the Mouse House)
  • De muizen gaan verhuizen! (The Mice Are Moving!)
  • De sneeuwman van Jaap en Jetje (The Snowmen of Jaap and Jetje)
  • Lotje in luilekkerland (Lotje in Good Luck Land)
  • Het verdwaalde eendje (The Lost Duckling)
  • Het feest van de tuinkabouter (The Gardener's Party)
  • A Rainy Day (1950)
  • Moeder Muis houdt grote schoonmaak (published in English as Spring Cleaning with Mrs. Mouse, 1950)

Written by other authors

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  • Bobtail's Adventure by Maggy Larissa (1963)
  • Change Penny by Geertruida Vladeracken
  • Die kinderen van de grote fjeld (The Children of the Great Mountain) by Laura Fitinghoff
  • Die toverende tweeling (The Devout Twins) by Tiny Broekman (1958)
  • Pussy-cat School by Maggy Larissa (1963)
  • The Animal Ski School by Maggy Larissa (1963)
  • The Happy Gnomes by Maggy Larissa (1963)
  • The Naughty Clown by Maggy Larissa (1963)
  • The Naughty Harlequin by Maggy Larissa (1963)
  • The Nightingale by Maggy Larissa (1965)
  • The Toy Bear's Train by Maggy Larissa (1963)
  • The Woman in the Moon by Maggy Larissa (1963)
  • The Goblin Party (1963)
  • The Happy Tale of Monty Mouse (1969)
  • Who Else Reads to Me? by Geertruida Vladeracken

References

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  1. ^ Saskia de Bodt, Jeroen Kapelle et al. Prentenboeken. Ideologie en illustratie 1890-1950. Amsterdam/Gent: Ludion, 2003, pp. 244-45. (in Dutch)
  2. ^ a b c "Nans van Leeuwen". Lambiek Comiclopedia, updated April 8, 2012.
  3. ^ a b "Nans van Leeuwen". Museum Woning. (in Dutch)
  4. ^ "Nans van Leeuwen". Digitale Bibliotheek voor de Nederlands lette. (in Dutch)
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