About the artist
Gijs Jacobs van den Hof was born in the Dutch city of Arnhem on March 24th, 1889. After completing his educations in the field of carpenting and cabinet-making, he applied to a technical school of crafts. He developed autodidactically into one of the most renowned sculptors of the Netherlands, although he never became as publically renowned as some of his friends and contemporaries: John Raedecker, Mari Andriessen and Hildo Krop, among others.
Between the years 1906 and 1921 he lived and worked mainly around Amsterdam. He was an honoured member of the Dutch Circle of Scultpors. From 1921 onwards he worked as a teacher at the Art Academy in Arnhem. He remained a teacher until his retirement. Besides having his work on public display, he also created some smaller pieces, mainly nudes and portraits, of wood, bronze, stone and ceramics. Jacobs van den Hof can be seen as the perfect exponent of the movement of craftsman-artists. He had perfect control over all his working techniques and this can be seen directly in his work. Jacobs van den Hof passed away in 1965.
