ABOUT REIJER DE LANGE

You find yourself in surroundings where you meet with Reijer de Lange, the person, the master baker, the artist painter, the father, the grandfather and great grandfather. Especially what lays on the artistic level, the painting, drawing and sculpture will surprise and amaze you. Reijer de Lange was born on November 20th 1907 in Delft and has also died there on February 7th 1987 (see also the birth certificate from the Delft archive). There it appears that father Martinus took care of the registration, again accompanied by his father Aart Abraham, Reijer's grandfather, who he later painted a portrait of.

Circa 2012 a grandson who is also his name sake, assisted by his brother, took the initiative, because of the large content and diversity of the artistic expressions of Reijer de Lange, to present a view as complete as possible, of his work. More so because many paintings ended up in England as well as Ireland, France, Austria, Canada and California.


AUTODIDACT

Who was Reijer de Lange and how did his desire to improvement and beauty in creativity begin. Reijer was born in Delft in 1907, the second child in a baker's family with eight children, five sons and three daughters. The eldest son went on to study and the other sons would automatically make part of the existing bakery of their father and uncle. That is often how it was in those days. That tradition however did not lead to the halting of the deep capacities of Reijer de Lange with regards to his artistic expressions in paint works, sculptures and even sculptured earth ware. He also turned his artistic gift to a commercially orientated project of so called fruitcake, to show a design of a Delft panorama, where the Oude Jan and the Nieuwe Kerk proudly present.

Reijer was a real autodidact with an optimistic outlook on life and the things around him. Where painting is concerned he has been taught for a long time by Koos van der Horst, who had a prominent place in the famous Delft earth wear factory De Porceleine Fles. Reijer was a romantic, rejected modern directions in the art of painting. That is also visible in his work. Beautiful landscapes in oil paint and acrylic, portraits, city views, copies of old masters, pen drawings and icons. Given any time he would do it in requests from some one. So far globally known, his work far exceeds the 200 pieces. Then there is his passion for wood, oak to be precise. In face he has also certainly set himself aside by the creating of sculptured scenes from the mythology on the cabinet and sideboard.

 

STUDIO

His house was also his studio, preferably the dining room of the Hugo de Grootstraat 186, like the number it was at that time. Only later on his work space moved to the former kitchen on the first floor. As long as there was 'light from the north' was his much heard saying.

FROM MASTER BAKER TO TEACHER

His style contained a small spectrum, realism and romanticism. Shortly after his retirement Reijer de Lange gave lessons in the art of painting, to the elderly in the community of Delft. That was included in a current project then of the community Goud van Oud, later Delftse Creative Societeit which was held in the building of the former Elout van Soeterwoude school. In that connection Reijer de Lange has systemised his given lessons and put it in a small book. In this latest faze Reijer de Lange has also had exhibitions for a number of years in The Dirty Nelly and de Korenbeurs in Delft. It then contained mostly the displays of so called icons made by him or his pupils, also again on real oak wood of course. Many publications of that period in regional papers witness this. (see exhibition) We wish you much pleasure with your further discovery of this site.


VIDEO MATERIAL

 

Overview
work of art

ICONS AND RELIGION

This over view mostly contains copies of existing icons, mostly painted to order.

Portraits Painting portraits was one of Reijer's strongest sides. Often it concerned persons he already knew, through which the portrait received more depth.
Landscapes Countryside beauty was there to be painted. Often he sketched a beautiful view, quickly in his diary, to work on it later on. Also outside The Netherlands he knew beautiful countryside, his work shows, was appreciated.
Delft city views

Reijer was born and raised in Delft. He loved his city and knew the picturesque inner city like the back of his hand.

Still life

With much patience and sometimes love, Reijer painted flowers, often requested by his wife Bernardina, who loved them.

Pen drawings

All of a sudden, there were the pen drawings, as if a faze in his evolvement as a painter.

Furniture and sculptures

Painting and drawing was not enough for Reijer. His passion also had to move and touch you. He achieved that. Especially the oak cabinet has therefore become a kind of a mirror image of himself.