Albert Houthuesen

Albert Houthuesen (3 October 1903, Amsterdam – 20 October 1979, London) was a Dutch-born British artist.

Albert Houthuesen
Born3 October 1903
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Died1979
London
NationalityDutch
EducationSaint Martin's School of Art, Royal College of Art
Known forPainting
Spouse(s)Catherine Dean

Houthuesen was born in Amsterdam; his father was Jean Charles Pierre Houthuesen, a painter and musician. In 1912, following the death of his father, he came to London; he became naturalized in 1922. He took art classes at Saint Martin's School of Art while working for a furniture maker, and in an architect's office. He attended the Royal College of Art between 1923 and 1927, with contemporaries Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Edward Burra, Ceri Richards and Cecil Collins.[1] From 1928 to 1936 he taught art classes at The Working Men's College with colleagues Percy Horton and Barnett Freedman, under the Directorship of James Laver[2][3]

During the Second World War he worked as a draughtsman at Doncaster. After the War he taught at St Gabriel's College, Camberwell, and collected artworks that became the College collection.[3] St Gabriel's Art Department was run by the painter Catherine Dean, who Houthuesen had married in 1931.[4] Each year during the 1930s Houthuesen and Dean visited Trelogan, Dean's family home, where Houthuesen painted monumental portraits of colliers.[5]

Reception and style

In 1976 the BBC broadcast Walk to the Moon - The Story of Albert Houthuesen, a film about Houthuesen's his life and work.[6] Souren Melikian, in a feature article on Houthuesen in the International Herald Tribune wrote: "I suspect that Houthuesen will come to be seen as one of the great figures in post-World War II Western art".[7]

During his career, Houthuesen possibly painted about 2000 works, and although many were acquired by major art galleries and collectors, few have been publicly exhibited.[1]

His work was influenced by Rembrandt, Constable, Turner and van Gogh.

Houthuesen's art is autobiographical and belongs to no 20th century school. He worked in virtual isolation[1] for sixty years, producing still-lives, landscapes, seascapes, and portraits, as well as biblical, mythical and allegorical scenes.

Major public collections

Published works
  • Houthuesen, Albert; Rothenstein, John, Albert Houthuesen: An Appreciation (1969). ISBN 0950191906

References
  1. Melikian,Souren, "Contemporary Art Works of Often Subtle Beauty"; The New York Times, 8 October 2012. Retrieved 13 May 2012
  2. Barnes, Janet (1982), Percy Horton 1897–1970 p.17, Sheffield City Art Galleries ISBN 0900660856
  3. "Albert Houthuesen", artist biography, Tate. Retrieved 13 May 2012
  4. Whaite, Gillian. "Art and the St Gabriel's Collection". St Gabriel's Programme, Culham Institute. Archived from the original on 12 August 2007. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
  5. "Houthuesen, Albert (1903 - 1979)", National Museum of Wales. Retrieved 13 May 2012
  6. Walk to the Moon - The Story of Albert Houthuesen Archived 29 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine, BBC video (1976). Retrieved 13 May 2012
  7. Melikian, Souren, International Herald Tribune, 9 October 2010

Further reading
  • Nathanson, Richard, Walk to the Moon - The Story of Albert Houthuesen, The Putney Press (2008). ISBN 0951621920
  • Rothenstein, John, British Art Since 1900. An Anthology, Phaidon Press (1962)
  • Rothenstein, John, Modern English Painters volume 2, Macdonald (1974). ISBN 0356103544
  • Buckman, David, Artists in Britain Since 1945, Art Dictionaries Ltd. (2006) ISBN 095326095X
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