Adriana Johanna Wilhelmina (Jeanne) Bieruma Oosting (1898-1994) was a versatile Dutch artist, known for her work as an etcher, graphic artist, watercolorist, sculptor, and painter. Born in Leeuwarden as a member of a prominent Frisian patrician family, Jeanne spent her childhood in a stately home on the Wirdumerdijk. Together with her sister, she received lessons from a private tutor and began drawing at a young age. At the age of nine, the family moved to De Cloese, a country estate in Lochem, where she spent summers at the Lauswolt estate in Beetsterzwaag with her grandfather.
Jeanne received her first painting lessons around the age of sixteen from Marianne Bleeker in Lochem, where she worked with oil paint until 1918. Later, she traveled twice a week to Deventer for lessons from Paul Bodifée, and then to Bloemendaal for watercolor lessons from Frits Grabijn. Her pursuit of an artistic career was hindered by opposition from her parents.
After her time in Lochem, Jeanne moved to The Hague for further education under Albert Roelofs and later under Willem van Konijnenburg, where she learned the principles of composition, construction, and anatomy. Although influenced by strict academicism, her aversion to modernism was not promoted. Her contacts with artists like Charlotte van Pallandt and the circle around Conrad Kickert brought her friendship and collegiality.
The discovery of Stanley William Hayter's studio in Montparnasse aroused her interest in graphic techniques. After the war, she regularly returned to his studio for further study. Her graphic works from that time were characterized by titles such as 'Solitudes', 'Visions et Fantômes', 'L'amour et la mort', and 'Les Fleurs du Mal', with large lithographs exuding a twilight and romantic atmosphere.
Jeanne was a member of various art associations, including the Dutch Association for Crafts and Industrial Art, the Dutch Watercolorists' Circle, Pulchri, The Graphic Arts Association, and Arti et Amicitiae. She exhibited regularly and collected works by contemporary artists, including Jan van Heel, Dirk van Gulik, Kees Verwey, and Charlotte van Pallandt.
Although portraiture was a secondary activity for her, her paintings mainly consisted of still lifes, often inspired by objects from her own home. Her later oil paintings were characterized by the emergence of form from color. In 2021, Jolande Withuis published "Geen Tijd Verliezen: Jeanne Bieruma Oosting 1898-1994," in which she describes the life and career of Jeanne Oosting with extensive material, a lively portrait of a talented, fascinating, and courageous woman.
