Piet Zwart – Eighteen drawings
Eighteen drawings of wild vegetables and fruits 1942 – 1943
In 1985, more than thirty years ago now, Printing Company Rosbeek had the intention to honor Piet Zwart – who then would have become 100 years old – posthumously with a publication in their goodwill series.
Their thoughts went out to less well-known work, such as the Normalieënboekje 1924 – 1925 of the NKF and the fourteen color drawings in watercolor, of edible wild vegetables and fruits, which he made for a brochure of the Information Office of the Food Council in the war years 1942-1943. The choice then fell on the Normalieënboekje, that appeared in January 1986 entitled Rosbeek 21. The idea for a book about the drawings from the war years remained ‘on the shelf’.
That this publication is still going to be released arises from the initiative that, after some preliminary investigation, was taken by Jacques Peeters, former Director of the Academy St. Joost in Breda and William Graatsma, former Director of the Jan van Eyck Akademie in Maastricht and for years advisor and editor of the Rosbeek goodwill series.
The presentation of this little ‘document of historical interest’ can now, at the start of 2018, take place. It reminds us of the fact that Piet Zwart – now seventy-five years ago – together with a large number of fellow citizens was held hostage in the internment camps in Haaren and Sint-Michielsgestel.
It was under those circumstances that Piet Zwart made the drawings for the brochure ‘Our wild vegetables and fruit’, to which this latest edition in the Rosbeek series is dedicated.
Arie Lenoir,
Chairman Grafische Cultuurstichting
Book presentation
The book was presented on Wednesday 7 March 2018 at the Bijzondere Collecties, Universiteit van Amsterdam.
It can be ordered at: www.zooproducties.nl
Photos book presentation: Henk Gianotten