Artists

A selection of artists (literary, visual and musical) that I really appreciate (in no particular order).

Belcampo (1902 – 1990) – Born in Naarden, grew up in Rijssen (in the East of the Netherlands). His nom de plume is a translation of his surname Schönfeld (schön = beautiful, feld = field). One of the few magic realist authors of the Netherlands. He is best known for his short story “het grote gebeuren” [the grand happening] about the apocalypse, in which he fears to be tortured in hell so he dresses up a a devil. My favourite work is his travel book “de zwerftocht van Belcampo” [Belcampo’s wandering journey], which relates his journey (on foot and hitchhiking) in the 1930s from the Netherlands to Sicily. This book features a great amount of encounters with memorable characters (artists, idealists, farmers), and provides an interesting insight into daily life in fascist Italy.

Mikhail Bulgakov (1891 – 1940) – Russian author best known for the surrealist novel Мастер и Маргарита [Master and Margarita]. I can also highly recommend the very touching historical novel Белая гвардия [the White Guard] about the demise of a Tsarist family in Kiev during the Russian civil war. Another great work is the short story collection Записки юного врача [Notes of a young doctor], that was inspired by Bulgakov’s experiences as a doctor in an isolated rural community.

Uehara Konen (1878 – 1940) – I don’t have many biographical details of this Japanese printmaker, but his works are exquisite. His prints tend to have a very painterly quality, evoking brushstrokes.

Cornelis Verhoeven (1928 – 2001) – Born in the village Udenhout, son of a farmer. Studied philosophy in Nijmegen, and got his PhD defending his thesis “de symboliek van de voet” [the symbolism of the foot]. Became professor of philosophy at the University of Amsterdam. I find his philosophical works a bit dense and difficult to follow, but his autobiographical works (particularly his biography “de glans van oud ijzer” [the sheen of old iron]) are of an exquisite introspective quality.