Metten Koornstra - zelfportret in het atelier

strong and colorful work with "grease" chalk, beautifully framed, ready to be hung. In June 2009 "DE ELAND" auctioned the entire studio of Metten Tenny Koornstra in Diemen. This work (cat. no. 5211) was bought in that auction by the current seller - see also those photos.

Mette Koornstra was a student of Derkzen van Angeren at the Academy of Fine Arts in Rotterdam. Lived and worked in Rotterdam and Paris and from 1937 in Amsterdam. Painter and graphic artist of tranquil landscapes with figures. His work can be found in the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, the Haags Gemeentemuseum, Museum Boymans - van Beuningen Rotterdam and the Rijksprentenkabinet. Metten Koornstra gained fame among the general public, however, as the decorator of the annual Boekenbal, which was the opening of the book week organized by the Association for the Promotion of the Interests of the Booksellers. From 1947 until the 1970s, he gave shape to this event in an imaginative, cheerful manner, which alternated between the Stadsschouwburg, the Concertgebouw and the RAI. Inextricably linked to the Boekenbals was the musical accompaniment provided by the ensemble of his first wife, the violinist ('Stehgeigerin') Rita Dalvano. How popular Metten's decorations were is shown by the fact that they were torn from the walls by the partygoers towards the end of the balls and taken home.