Life and Work of Jaap Schreurs (1913-1983) Painter and father |
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Introduction by Nelleke and Paula |
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Selfportrait detail ±1942 19x18cm
There are two of us left now, and while we still can (2019), Nelleke and I want to bring together our memories of the life and work of our special father, painter Jaap Schreurs, to share these here with the interested reader. |
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Nelleke and Paula
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Nelleke ± 1948
Jaap was a full-time painter and in between also served as our caretaker and educator. Later, in our adult years, he would continue to be our loyal friend and travel companion. |
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To Testify
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Paula 1951
Jaap's artistic work certainly cannot be called commonplace. Because of the indelible impression it made on us, his daughters, we want to testify here to his work. |
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Our childhood was steeped in the images he put on his canvases. In the studio where our family lived in the early years, the air was always filled with the familiar smell of oil paint.
Three Cripples, oil on canvas, 70x89cm 1947 |
An expressiveness of its own
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The work of Jaap Schreurs undeniably has an expressiveness all of its own. He did not talk about the images he put on the canvas, nor was that really necessary, as we later realized: The work communicated to us all by itself. In the presentation on this site we would like to follow his example and let the images speak directly from the canvas to the viewer, just as they did to us. Additionally, in order to provide some context, we will give a brief description of the periods in which the works were created, with here and there a photo or anecdote from that time.
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Self-portrait oil on board 33x48cm ± 1940 |
After a busy day at kindergarten or school, the two of us would climb on his lap and look at the painting on the easel, which, compared to that morning, now would be in a slightly more advanced state. |
Guest of the Salvation Army ± 1935
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