Hermanus Berserik 1921-2002

Hague artist Hermanus Berserik died in March at the age of eighty. Although resident for many years in Rijswijk, he was undeniably a member of the Hague art world, for example as a teacher at the Hague Academy of Art and as an active member of the Pulchri Studio artists' association.

His contributions to Pulchri's magazine were widely read and appreciated for their practical tips on painting. These reflected his complete mastery of the craft. His paintings - nostalgic still lifes, self-portraits (sometimes with a touch of surrealism), townscapes and rural views - all evoke a distinctive atmosphere. In The Hague, everyone knows his gable-end paintings on two houses close to Hollandse Spoor station, in the neighbourhood where he grew up. As a homage to Herman Berserik, the Gemeentemuseum is showing a number of paintings from various periods: pieces which are seldom exhibited but together evoke the rich variety of artistic life in The Hague during the post-war years.