Julie De Graag

Anna Julia 'Julie' de Graag (Gorinchem, July 18, 1877 - The Hague, February 2, 1924) was a Dutch graphic artist, draftsman and painter.

Biography:

Julie de Graag was born in Gorinchem, but followed her parents to The Hague. She went to study at the Royal Academy of Art in 1890 and was educated by J.J. Aarts and the Hague art critic H.P. Bremmer, whose protégé she would become. In addition, she obtained her MO deed to sign.

In 1904 she moved to Laren, North Holland, where she began to use a more stylized style under the influence of the sculptor Joseph Mendes da Costa and the painter Bart van der Leck. Her home burned down completely on New Year's Eve 1908, with much of her work being lost. In addition to her work as an artist, she gave drawing lessons at a girls' school in Utrecht for a few hours a week. Her health condition was constantly fragile and she therefore often stayed with her parents in The Hague. In the early 1920s she deteriorated both physically and mentally and had to stop teaching. This was reflected in the theme of her work, which became increasingly morbid.

Julie de Graag committed suicide at the age of 46.

Work:

Julie de Graag painted flowers, animal studies and portraits, but mainly made graphic work, such as woodcuts of peasant figures (Laren peasant women), plants, animals, portraits and village scenes. De Graag's work is in the Art Nouveau style, sober, but refined. She used end grain, which because of its hardness is more difficult to work than longitudinal wood, but produces much finer pressures. Her oeuvre has remained modest.