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Johan van Hell

01 November 2016 - 16:25

Johan van Hell (1889-1952) was a versatile man. Besides being a visual artist, he was a clarinet player and oboist, and not the least.

Van Hell was a regular substitute at the Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam. In addition to the colorful oil paintings with which he became famous, he designed book covers, ex-libris, posters and other printed matter. Van Hell was a socialist and that determined a large part of his work.

Johan van Hell, painter and musician, of which a second edition recently appeared, contains Van Hell's oeuvre catalog, essays on various aspects of his work and a list of exhibitions. His first major exhibition was in the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam in 1924, his second-to-last in the Museum of Modern Art in Arnhem, 2005.

This book is a result of that exhibition, Van de Straat - the social engagement of Johan van Hell.

As a graphic designer Van Hell mainly worked for the publishers of the SDAP and the Independent Socialist Party (OSP). Much of this work can be found in the collections of the IISH. The oeuvre catalog was compiled by Bart de Cort, former employee of the IISH, who also wrote a contribution about Van Hell as a musician.

IISH Collections | Book blog | Johan van Hell - Design for 1 may celebration in Olympic Stadium Amsterdam (1930)

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