Career_as_a_legitimate_painter Han_van_Meegeren

the deer (or hertje ) 1 of han van meegeren’s best-known original drawings.

in summer of 1914, van meegeren moved family scheveningen. year, completed diploma examination @ royal academy of art in hague. diploma allowed him teach, , took position assistant professor gips, professor of drawing , art history, small monthly salary of 75 guldens. in march 1915, daughter pauline born, later called inez. supplement income, han sketched posters , painted pictures commercial art trade, christmas cards, still-life, landscapes, , portraits. many of these paintings quite valuable today.

van meegeren showed first paintings publicly in hague, exhibited april may 1917 @ kunstzaal pictura. in december 1919, accepted select member haagse kunstkring, exclusive society of writers , painters met weekly on premises of ridderzaal. painted tame roe deer belonging princess juliana in studio @ hague, opposite royal palace huis ten bosch. made many sketches , drawings of deer, , painted hertje (the fawn) in 1921, became quite popular in netherlands. undertook numerous journeys belgium, france, italy, , england, , acquired name himself talented portraitist. earned stately fees through commissions english , american socialites spent winter vacations on côte d azur. clients impressed understanding of 17th-century techniques of dutch masters. throughout life, van meegeren signed own paintings own signature.

by accounts, infidelity responsible breakup of van meegeren’s marriage anna de voogt; divorced on 19 july 1923. anna left children , moved paris van meegeren visited children time time. dedicated himself portraiture , began producing forgeries increase income.

he married actress johanna theresia oerlemans in woerden in 1928, whom had been living past 3 years. johanna known under stage name of jo van walraven, , had been married art critic , journalist dr. c h. de boer (karel de boer). brought daughter viola van meegeren household.