Johan Georg Gerstenhauer Zimmermanartist • painterAmsterdam 1858-1931 Utrecht

Johan Georg Gerstenhauer got the artistic talent from his father, Jan Wendel Gerstenhauer Zimmerman, painter, draftsman and lithographer. Johan Georg became known for his landscapes, anecdotal urban, beach and genre scenes and portraits. His paintings often tell a story; fishermen on the waterfront awaiting the catch, old people on the beach, sitting on a tree trunk or taking a walk, young girls in Zeeland traditional costume on the road together. At the invitation of the Teeken Academy in Middelburg, he started painting and drawing lessons at home, after which he was appointed to the Academy in 1862. He will continue to live and work in Zeeland until 1870, after which he will reside successively in Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht. Gerstenhauer was also one of the first artists to be asked to make advertising drawings. When the company Philips, founded in 1891, started around 1910 with artists for the posters and advertising postcards for their revolutionary metal wire lamps, Gerstenhauer was commissioned to design a series of 12 portraits of Dutch farmergirls in traditional costume. He also painted scenes from everyday life for picture postcards that are still very popular with collectors.