Herman Berserik - 3rd state proof print of the etching "Night", made in 2 copies in 1999.

• Artist: Herman Berserik (1921-2002)
• Title: "Night"
• Year: 1999
• Technique: Etching and Aquatint on handmade paper
• Edition: 3rd state proof 2/2
• Dimensions (sheet size): 28 x 39 cm image size: 15 x 21.5 cm
• Signature: pencil signed
• Condition: very good condition

Born: The Hague
Education: Royal Academy of Visual Arts
In 1944, Herman Berserik took his final exams early, after which he went on a study trip to Paris following the war, where he visited Jan van Heel and Sierk Schroder, among others. In 1946, he became a member of the Hague Art Circle. Although he lived on an estate in Rijswijk from 1952 onwards, he was an undeniable part of the Hague art world, among other things as a lecturer from 1958 at the Hague Academy of Fine Arts and since 1963 as an active member of the painting society 'Pulchri Studio'.
He designed stamps and posters for the PTT and illustrated books such as the novel *De nacht gaat de dag voren* (1959) by Nico Wijnen.
He mastered painting to perfection. His paintings—still lifes with nostalgic objects, self-portraits sometimes with a surrealist touch, cityscapes, and landscapes—exude a unique atmosphere. In his realistic paintings, he wanted to give reality a different face by changing small things.
Influenced by post-war French Expressionism, his work is characterized by bright use of color and a distinctive perspective. In 1942, he continued Paul Citroen's studio. Hermanus Berserik never paid much attention to prevailing art trends. He continued to paint his own peculiar world. With his cheerful depictions, full of humor, poetry, and sometimes a touch of surrealism, the Hague painter managed to attract a large audience over the years.
In 1988, he created the well-known murals on the facades of the Hoefkade courtyards near the Hollandse Spoor, the residential area of his youth. He received the Royal Grant for Painting in 1948 and 1949, the Jacob Maris Prize for Materials in 1950, the David Roëll Prize in 1951, the Jacob Maris Prize for Graphics in 1952 and 1960, the Jacob Hartog Prize in 1963, and the Jacob Hartog Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000. His work can be found in the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, the Museum for Communication (Postmuseum) in The Hague, and the National Collection, among others. However, the majority of his extensive oeuvre—approximately 1,500 paintings and other works—the majority of his paintings, drawings, etchings, and lithographs is in private ownership.