Kees Stoop led a reclusive life in Holten, at the foot of the Sallandse Heuvelrug, where he captured the nature he so deeply loved in a variety of styles — ranging from highly realistic and precise to sketch-like and nearly abstract.
One of the Greatest Draughtsmen in the Netherlands
Despite his reluctance to promote his work publicly, Kees Stoop attracted a circle of devoted admirers — including collectors and museum curators. Though little known to the general public, his work is held in numerous collections across the Netherlands, including the Rijksprentenkabinet and Museum Helmantel.
Dr. Bob van den Boogert, former curator at the Rembrandt House Museum in Amsterdam, considered Kees Stoop to be one of the greatest draughtsmen in the country.
Kees Stoop
Kees Stoop was born in Werkendam into a strict Reformed Christian family. From an early age, he developed a deep love for drawing. After the Second World War, he settled in Dordrecht, where, under the guidance of painter Cor Noltee, he further developed his artistic talent — and where he also met his wife, Ans Verhoeven. With a scholarship from the Ary Scheffer Fund, he studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, where he became fascinated by Belgian Expressionists such as Constant Permeke and Gustave De Smet, who would go on to influence his own work. Upon returning to the Netherlands, he became a member of the Teekengenootschap Pictura in Dordrecht, and later settled in Holten, Overijssel, at the foot of the Holterberg.
First Retrospective Exhibition
This summer, Rijksmuseum Twenthe, in collaboration with the Kees Stoop Foundation, presents the first retrospective exhibition of his work. For the first time, the wider public will have the opportunity to discover this remarkable artist through more than sixty drawings, complemented by a selection of etchings and paintings. The exhibition also includes a number of objects from Kees Stoop’s studio, which — like his artworks — reflect his deep reverence for nature and the transience of life.
Short Film
For this exhibition, Rijksmuseum Twenthe commissioned documentary filmmaker Peter Schoof to create a short film about Kees Stoop. Schoof interviewed Stoop several times and filmed his studio shortly after his passing. The short film will be screened at the museum throughout the exhibition.
