Corneille Henri Deeartist • painter • watercolourist • draughtsmanLeiden 1862-1935 Den Haag

The painter Corneille Henri Dee was a late bloomer. As a teacher of classical languages and vice principal of the gymnasium in Gorkum, he drew and painted as a hobby, especially after helping his former classmate Theo van Hoytema in 1894 to get commissioned for the wall decorations of the Gentlemens Club in Gorkum. In 1903 and 1905 he already exhibited at Oldenzeel in Rotterdam and Boussod Valadon & Cie in The Hague. From 1918 he devoted himself completely to painting. His large watercolors of an abundance of flowers in bright colors were widely loved. He depicted the flowers realistically, the compositions are reminiscent of the way of flat decoration that was customary in the - innovative - decorative art of that time. Not surprisingly, C.H. Dee was commissioned around 1918 to design decorative flower panels for the luxury cabins of the steamship 'Statendam'.