Dirk Breed (Kolhorn 1920 – 2004) was a resilient artist despite the small handicap of a stiff leg. During World War II, he studied under Thijs Sterk in Bergen. In 1946, he began his education at the Rijksacademie voor Beeldende Kunsten in Amsterdam. Following this, he worked in Haarlem at a workshop for the restoration of antique textiles. In 1952, he received a royal grant for painting and dedicated himself to becoming an artist.
After a brief period in Kolhorn, he returned to Amsterdam, where he met his younger wife, ceramicist Lia Hornhof. Together, they settled in Waverveen, where the tranquility inspired him. His entire life, he continued to paint and draw polder landscapes. "The vastness and the space attract me," said the painter who grew up in North Holland. What he saw during his travels, he captured with a camera or sketchbook, later turning it into a painting in his studio.
Early Works:
In the beginning, Breed created dark paintings that showed a certain kinship with the painters from Bergen, the Ploegschilders from the 1920s and 1930s, and the German expressionists. Gradually, his palette lightened with a more neo-impressionistic touch. Initially, his works were threatening but later became less oppressive and more poetic.
He remained a Kolhorner at heart. “I saw the anchovy fishermen return. My whole painting revolves around the polder, around Kolhorn and the land around it with that atmosphere of immense openness,” he once said. The skies were pure, and the horizon infinitely far. This is what he wanted to depict in his paintings.
Artistic Evolution
His landscapes became increasingly emptier. Often, he would leave something out of the observed scene because it made the composition more beautiful. Often, a cyclist on the dyke became the focal point. His North Holland landscapes, characterized by clean lines, a low horizon, multiple layers of paint, and striking use of color, earned him the Arti Medal in 1992. He developed a unique style that is expressionistic yet also shows traits of Dutch naïve painting. With clean lines, he emphasized the geometry and overwhelming openness of the landscape. Shadows are rarely used. His dominant use of blues and bright greens is also characteristic. Breed worked in various layers of small paint strokes to bring both himself and the painting into a state of mind of a surreal fantasy landscape.
Breed spent most of his life in Amsterdam, where he was a member of St. Lucas and De Brug. He didn't belong to any specific group but showed characteristics of the Bergen School and De Ploeg.
In 1993, he was one of the Dutch artists who participated in the international event Kunst Salon 1993. In total, he created more than 1500 paintings. Exhibitions of his works were held in various places, including the West-Fries Museum, Museum Kranenburg, and even in the Ronde Venen itself.
Breed's legacy is one of vast, serene landscapes that capture the essence of the Dutch polder, with a distinctive style that bridges expressionism and naïve painting.
The work we have in our collection
Want to read more; find this book:
