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  • An elephant came by; 24 Dutch illustrators
  • Toin Duijx
Barbara Mazzotta and Agnes Vogt (EDS), Ted Van Lieshout (TEXT), Philip Stroomberg (DESIGN), Laura Watkinson (TRANSLATION FROM THE DUTCH), An elephant came by; 24 Dutch illustrators Amsterdam: Foundation for the Production and Translation of Dutch Literature (NLPVF) 2010 117pp €15.00 + postage (order at: a.vogt@nlpvf.nl)

Netherlands

Dutch illustrations, design, and (picture) books are internationally famous for their quality and diversity. The Nederlands Literair Productie- en Vertalingenfonds (Foundation for the Production and Translation of Dutch Literature; NLPVF) still felt, however, that there was a need for an exhibition featuring the oeuvre of the foremost Dutch illustrators. This exhibition was launched at the public library in Amsterdam in the spring of 2010 and is now travelling around the world. A committee of renowned Dutch children's book experts including Joukje Akveld, Margriep Chorus, Agnes Vogt, and Truusje Vrooland-Löb selected more than one hundred illustrations by twenty-four artists. The selection ranges from internationally well-established illustrators, such as Max Velthuijs and Dick Bruna to representatives of the younger generation, including Yvonne Jagtenberg, Fleur van der Weel, and Martijn van der Linden. The exhibition is accompanied by an impressive and beautifully designed catalogue whose title, An elephant came by, also serves as the beginning of a story written by Ted van Lieshout. In this story, an elephant and a lady meet at an exposition and humorously discuss their opinions about the exhibits they see. This wonderful text runs through the title and the endpapers, as well as throughout the catalogue and even continues on the back of the catalogue. The illustrators are introduced by means of short interviews. The English-language catalogue ends with a short essay by Ted van Lieshout about the illustrators' sources of inspiration, including works by artists like Matisse and Rembrandt. This is an outstanding catalogue which offers a useful overview of the Netherlands' most important contemporary illustrators.

Toin Duijx [End Page 70]

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