Jan Toorop: A Dutch-Indonesian Art Deco Wonder

Jean Theodoor Toorop (1858 – 1928), better known as Jan Toorop, was an Indonesian born Dutch painter. He worked in a variety of styles, including Symbolism, Art Nouveau, and Pointilism (that’s painting with dots if you were about to look it up like I just had to).

Toorop was born in Java to a Dutch-Indonesian father and British mother. At the tender age of 11, he moved with his family to Holland and, later, moved to Brussels for further study. After marrying a British woman in 1886, Toorop alternated his time between The Hague, England, Holland and Brussels. All the time, busy with his brush.

Toorop, as you will see, mucked about with plenty of styles during his career, seamlessly moulding Art Deco vibes with classical styles and Indonesian curves. After his conversion to Catholicism in 1905, he started adding religious themes to his paint pot, too.

Pointilism, yeah?:

Toorop’s daughter, Charley Toorop (Annie Caroline Pontifex Fernhout-Toorop in full), also went on to become an artist. Here’s a couple of hers, the first being a self portrait:

Her son, Jan’s grandson – Edgar Fernhout also carried on the family tradition and became an accomplished artist. Here’s two of his:

Talented family. They’re more well known in Holland, but that’s to be expected. I’m happy to have been thrown in their direction.