Willem Boon

Willem Boon (1902, Dordrecht – 1986, Rotterdam) was a Dutch painter, engraver, bookbinding designer and sculptor. In 1904, he moved to Rotterdam where he remained the rest of his life. From 1918 to 1921, he studied at the Academie voor Beeldende Kunsten (Academy of Fine Arts) in Rotterdam, along with Willem de Kooning. In 1933, Boon founded the artist group Rotterdam 1933 (R33) with famous members as Kees van Dongen, Marius Richters, Quirijn van Tiel. He painted in a realistic, impressionistic and abstract style. In 1936, 1937 and 1940 he had exhibitions at Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam. In 1940 Boon’s house was destroyed by the bombardment of Rotterdam. All his paintings were lost except the paintings on show in Boijmans van Beuningen. Willem Boon has had many exhibitions in various museums, like the Stedelijk Museum Schiedam (1963 and 1965), Museum Maassluis (1975), and the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam.