Jan Rinkeartist • painterSchildwolde 1863-1922 Den Haag.

Painter, illustrator and caricaturist Jan Rinke was a talented artist, but also a restless man who constantly explored new artistic fields and moved his family countless times, including to Berlin, London, New York and Austria. Jan Rinke started as a teacher in Rotterdam in 1887 and did not opt for art until 1899, when he was 36 years old. He attended the Rijksacademie in Amsterdam, where he was taught by August Allebé, among others, and established himself as a free artist in 1902. He painted impressionist landscapes, drew and etched, designed posters, calendars, colouring pages and set-up picture books. He also illustrated children's books, such as the first edition of 'Pietje Bell or the fortunes of a naughty boy' (1914) and from 1908 he also worked as a book cover designer.