Pieck Anton

Anton Franciscus Pieck was a Dutch artist, born in Den Helder/the Netherlands in 1895 and died in Overveen/the Netherlands in 1987. He was a painter, draftsman, etcher, lithographer and graphic artist. Anton Pieck is best known to the general public for his romantic drawings with lively scenes from an idealized nostalgic past and for his fairytale forest in the Efteling. He also designed bookplates and birth announcements. In his early years Anton Pieck signed with 'A.F. Pieck', but later he used 'A. Pieck' or even his full name 'Anton Pieck'. Anton Pieck and the Flemish Felix Timmermans were introduced to each other through the art dealer Cox. This resulted in a cordial friendship and cooperation, which led to several book illustrations on the occasion of the tenth edition of the novel Pallieter (1920). After the war he traveled regularly with his (twin) brother, Henri, to Germany and Austria on a study trip. From 1924 Anton Pieck made oil paintings. In 1937 Pieck traveled to Morocco for six weeks. In World War II, Anton Pieck was active in the resistance. He used his talent as a graphic artist to forge documents and stamps. He is knighted in the Order of Orange-Nassau. In 1984 the Anton Pieck Museum was opened in Hattem/Netherlands. In 2008, De Hallen in Haarlem/the Netherlands presented a major art-historical overview of the work of Anton Pieck. This exhibition “Satisfied Time” showed the artist as a romantic, with a great love for nature and a longing for a more beautiful past. (BT)