Jan Schoonhoven

Jan Schoonhoven was a Dutch artist who was part of the Nulgroep [Dutch Nul Group] in Holland. Another visual artist from the Abstract school, Schoonhoven was born in June 1914. He was trained at The Hague’s Royal Academy of Art, studying there from 1930 – 1934. Although he was mainly a weekend artist during the time he worked for the PPT, or Post Office, Schoonhoven is considered of the most well-respected Dutch artists of the twentieth century. He resided in Delft, Holland for the larger part of his life, though his impact on art movements such as Nederlandse Informele Groep, as well as many individual abstract expressionists, was great. This group was linked to the European Informel Group and the Zero Group. The art works of these groups were styled along the lines of Abstract Expressionism. At the commencement of his career, Schoonhoven painted watercolours, but his enquiries into the nature of art and his rebellion against the values of the Cobra School of Fine Art led him to attempt the creation of works from which all emotional values were expunged. During this period, his oeuvres were created from simple, everyday materials such as cardboard, papier-maché and plywood. Jan Schoonhoven’s art works have been exhibited in many galleries in Holland and Europe. He died in 1994.