Figure 1.--This little boy sailing his paper boats appears to be wearing a flowery smock. It was drawn by H.W. Willebeek LeMair in 1926.
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Figure 1.--This little boy sailing his paper boats appears to be wearing a flowery smock. It was drawn by H.W. Willebeek LeMair in 1926. |
H. (Henriette) W. Willebeek Le Mair drew evocative drawings for children's books in the early-20th century. This interesting artist drew children with tremendous
flair an imagination. Her style and soft colors are very destinctive. She appears to have peaked as an artist from 1905-1915. A few of the many books she illustrated
include: Little Songs of Long Ago (1912), an edition of Dutch fairytales (1917), an edition of Robert Lewis Stevenson's A Child's Garden of Versus (1931), and
Twenty Kakata Tales about Tibet (date unknown). Her drawings are very simple rather like cartoons, but are wonderfully imaginative. We know, however, little about her at this time. The illustration here shows a little boy in a flowery smock sailing paper boats. Ir is a lovely drawing, but we question how many boys wore flowery smocks in the 1920s.
Henrietta's family was avery old, established Dutch family.
Henriette was born in Rotterdam, Holland, during 1889. Creativity was incouraged in Henriatta's family. Her father liked to sketch and wouls often draw pictures for the children and tell them stories. Her mother liked to paint and write verse.
We have no information on how Henrietta and her siblings were dressed. Her drawings suggest that the children wore smocks, or perhaps tge smocks in her drawings come from her nirsery school.
As a child, Henrietta especially admired the illustrations of Maurice Boutet de Monvel, a popular French illustrator. When she was 15 years old, her parents took her to Paris so she could see him. He told her to study anatomy and advice her on painting children’s portraits. Interestingly the images that style that she is mosted noted for is highly styilized making little use of what she may have learned about anatomy. She would return to see him annually to show him her latest drawings. De Monvel adbised her to persue her studies at the Rotterdam Academy which she attended from 1909 to 1911.
She also took lessons in Holland. Starangely her drawing master insisted that she draw a model while it danced in circles at various speeds.
Le Mair began publishing at quite a young age. Le Mair's first book, Premières Rondes Enfantines (1904), was published in France when she was only 15 years old. She collaborated with her mother on three books of verse when she was 16 years old. Her mother wrote the text and Henrietta illustrated them. She was especially active during 1911-17. She was one of the most popular illustrator of her day. She actually illustrated, however, a realtively samll number of books, only 14. Many of the books she illustrated were collections of rhymes. While she became less active after her mairrage in 1920, her best known work may have been done in the 1920s when she worked on A.A. Milne's book, A Gallery of Children (1925). The next year she did a wonderful edition of Robert Louis Stevenson's A Child’s Garden of Verses (1926). After several years of inactivity, she did perhaps her most important work, ilustrating Noor Inayat Khan's Twenty Jakarta Tales (1939)--showing the influence of eastern culture.
We associate illustrators primarily with books. Like many illustartors in the early 20th century, Le Mair did not just work on books. Like many illustrators, she also published postcard sets. Beginning about 1923 she worked on children’s china.
Henrietta was deeply affected by a trip the family took to Arabia. They spent 18 months there as a youth. Hebrietta was deeply imbued with religious belief or perhaps better pit spirtituality throughout her like. The time in Arabia certainly was an important influence. The interest in eastern philosophy is well represented in her drawings.
Le Mair adopted the name "Saida" when she married H.P. Baron van Tuyll van Serooskerken in 1920. They newly wed couple converted to to Sufism, a religion of universal brotherhood and love. Thdey were especially influenced by Murshid Inayat Khan. The couple commited to helping the poor and contributing to charitable causes. They eventually set up their homde in The Hague.
Soon after marring, LeMair opened an exclusive nursery school in her home. This experience proved to be a wonderful source of inspiration for her drawings. She often used her pupils as models.
H. (Henriette) W. Willebeek Le Mair drew evocative water colors for children's books in the early-20th century. This interesting artist drew children with tremendous
flair an imagination. While almost cartoon-like, her simple, delicate drawings beautifully captured the essence of childhood. Her drawings are often simple rather like cartoons, although the surondings can be ornate. They are usually wonderfully imaginative. Her style and soft colors are very destinctive. She always pictures her idealized images of children in imaginative often beautiful surroundings--almost as in a dream. She appears to have peaked as an artist from 1905-1915. A few of the many books she illustrated include: Little Songs of Long Ago (1912), an edition of Dutch fairytales (1917), and several books of rhymes. Her work after World War I (1914-17) was more limited, but there were secveral memorable volumes: A.A. Milne's book, A Gallery of Children (1925), editions of Robert Lewis Stevenson's A Child's Garden of Verses (1926/1931), and Twenty Kakata Tales about Tibet (1939).
We know, however, little about her at this time.
The illustration here shows a little boy in a flowery smock sailing paper boats. Ir is a lovely drawing, but we question how many boys wore flowery smocks in the 1920s. Some of her best drawings of early 20th century childrens clothing are in R.H. Elkin's The Children's Corner (1914) and the Milne book A Gallery of Children (1924).
The last known book that LeMair illustrated was Christmas Carols for Young Children (1946). She lived until 1996 buy was not active as an illustrator in the last several decades of her life.
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