Mari Andriessen

Mari Andriessen (1897-1979) was born into a Catholic family in Haarlem, the Netherlands. His brother Hendrik was a well-known composer. Upon the completion of his training at the National Academy of Art in 1923, Mari Andriessen received many commissions from churches and Christian building societies due to his Catholic heritage. He made strongly stylized plaques and sculptures on biblical themes inspired by medieval examples. During WW II Andriessen refused to become a member of the Nederlandsche Kultuurkamer which sympathized with the Germans, which meant that he no longer received any commissions and was not allowed to have any exhibitions. He joined the resistance and hid Jews in his house. After the war many towns commissioned war or resistance monuments from him. Well-known are hisDokwerker in Amsterdam (1952) and Anne Frank near the Westerkerk in Amsterdam (1975). Later he was given important commissions like the statues of Albert Plesman in The Hague (1958) and of Queen Wilhelmina in Utrecht and Amsterdam (both 1967). His sculptures are characterized by their vigorous and clear compositions and simplification of detail. To view some of his works, seehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mari_Andriessen.