Hendrik Johan (Henk) Melgers, born on 11 April 1899 in Groningen, was a Dutch visual artist who became known as a member of both the Groningen Art Circle De Ploeg and the Amsterdam artist group De Onafhankelijken. At the age of two, he lost his parents and grew up in the Groene Weeshuis on the Oude Ebbingestraat in Groningen. In 1916, he began his artistic education at the Academie Minerva. After his studies, he moved to Amsterdam in 1920, but returned to Groningen in 1925, where he joined De Ploeg.
Within De Ploeg, Melgers worked closely with Johan Dijkstra. Between 1924 and 1926, they created paintings with similar styles, with harvest scenes as a popular subject. Although Melgers was not as exuberant an expressionist as Dijkstra, he contributed to the diversity within the group. In 1927 he moved to Zeegse in Drenthe, which, combined with financial difficulties, led to a reduction in his participation in De Ploeg activities. Nevertheless, he continued to exhibit at De Onafhankelijken in Amsterdam.
Melgers had a strong interest in socialist-engaged art. In 1927 he became a member of the Socialist Artists Circle (SKK), which aimed to promote socialist ideas in art. He contributed to the satirical weekly De Notenkraker, where he published drawings and woodcuts that criticized the abuses of capitalism. His graphic work, especially woodcuts, received international recognition. For example, his works were exhibited at the exhibition 'Dutch Graphics in the XIXth and XXth centuries' in Budapest, where he received an honorary diploma.
In 1936 Melgers was appointed archivist of De Onafhankelijken, a position he held until the beginning of the Second World War. After the war his style changed considerably; he left realism behind and turned to imaginative scenes, often with humorous elements. Henk Melgers died on August 19, 1973 in Amsterdam, but left behind a versatile oeuvre that reflects his involvement in both artistic and social issues.
