Herman Berserik - Rare 1970 proof etching with personal dedication - signed - Sold

• Artist: Herman Berserik
• Title: "Crandall's lively horseman"
• Year: 1969/1970
• Technique: Etching
• Edition: unique
• Dimensions (image): 30 x 27 cm
• Signature: signed in pencil
• Condition: very good condition

Born: The Hague
Education: Royal Academy of Art
In 1944, Herman Berserik graduated early from high school. After the war, he went on a study trip to Paris, 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, teaching at the Hague Academy of Fine Arts from 1958 onwards and being an active member of the painting society 'Pulchri Studio' from 1963 onwards.
He designed stamps and posters for the PTT and illustrated books such as the novel: The Night Precedes the Day (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 sought to give reality a different face by altering small details.
Influenced by post-war French expressionism, his work is characterized by bright colors and a unique perspective. In 1942, he took over Paul Citroen's studio. Hermanus Berserik never paid much attention to prevailing art trends. He continued to paint his own unique 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 famous facade paintings in the courtyards of the Hoefkade near the Hollandse Spoor railway station, the neighborhood where he grew up. He received, among other things, 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 Hague Municipal Museum, the Museum of Communication (Postal Museum) in The Hague, and the National Collection. However, most of his extensive oeuvre, approximately 1,500 paintings and other works, the majority of his paintings, drawings, etchings, and lithographs, is privately owned.