Johannes Jelgerhuisartist • painter • watercolourist • draughtsmanLeeuwarden 1770-1836 Amsterdam

Johannes Jelgerhuis was born in Leeuwarden and was both an actor and a painter. From his father he learned the art of drawing, he learned painting in Amsterdam from Pieter Barbiers. In Amsterdam he had a permanent position at the theater where he performed roles such as King Lear and Gijsbrecht van Amstel. He travelled around a lot with the theatre company and drew cityscapes, buildings and churches in the places he visited. Jelgershuis also made drawings of himself in costumes as he envisioned them for his roles. In 'Toneelcostumes van den Koninklijk Hollandschen Schouwburg te Amsterdam' he engraved and etched his colleagues in different clothes. Jelgerhuis gave lessons on gesticulation and facial expressions at the Amsterdam drama school. These lessons were later published in 'Theoretische lessen over de Gesticulatie en Mimiek’ and he provided drawings of different postures, movements, expressions and an overview of historical clothing. Work by Jelgerhuis is included in the collections of the Rijksmuseum, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen and the Theatre Collection of the Allard Pierson.