Bouwarbeiders (1881-1934)

Johannes Josephus Aarts prints show the strength and dignity of working people in the Netherlands around 1900. Aarts, a Dutch printmaker and teacher, engraved dike workers, polder labourers, farm women and beggars with a strong, sculptural line, and illustrated Vondel's play Lucifer with dramatic angels and rebels. Our collection of fine art prints includes his labour scenes, the Lucifer plates, myths, Dance of Death prints, street scenes and portraits.

About Johannes Josephus Aarts

Johannes Josephus Aarts was born in The Hague on 18 August 1871. He trained at the Academie van Beeldende Kunsten in The Hague and later taught there. In 1911 he succeeded Pieter Dupont as professor of graphic techniques at the Rijksakademie in Amsterdam.

Until about 1900 he worked mainly in wood engraving. Around 1900 he helped revive copper engraving in the Netherlands, and his engravings of labourers and beggars from those years count among the high points of early twentieth-century Dutch printmaking.

In 1898 he illustrated the first English translation of Joost van den Vondel's 1654 play Lucifer, translated by Leonard Charles van Noppen. Aarts died in Amsterdam on 19 October 1934.

Style and Subjects

Aarts's labour prints are built from bold, simple forms. Men carry stones, haul ropes, drive piles and push wheelbarrows, their bodies drawn with weight and muscle, often against a low Dutch horizon. Resting workers and sleeping polder boys add quiet moments to the hard work.

His Lucifer plates are a different world: angels and rebels in swirling, dramatic compositions, full of wings, armour and light. Across both, his line is clear and confident, the work of a craftsman who taught engraving to the next generation.

Famous Works

• Stenen sjouwende arbeiders (Workers Carrying Stones) (c. 1900). Labourers bent under heavy stones.
• Bouwarbeiders bezig met heiwerk (Builders Driving Piles) (c. 1900). Workers driving piles into soft Dutch ground.
• Resting Dike Worker. A worker pausing on the dike.
• Slapende polderjongen (Sleeping Polder Boy). A boy asleep in the open polder.
• The Rebels in Hell (Lucifer) (1898), Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. The fallen angels in hell, from his plates for Vondel's Lucifer.
• Rafael Pleading with Lucifer (Lucifer) (1898), Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. The angel Rafael tries to bring Lucifer to reason.
• The Battle in the Heavens (Lucifer) (1898). Angels clash in the sky.

Decorating with Aarts Prints

Aarts's labour engravings suit a study, office or hallway, and they look strong in black frames with wide white mounts. A row of workers carrying stones, hauling rope and driving piles makes a powerful set for anyone who loves Dutch art or honest, working subjects.

The Lucifer plates add drama to a library or reading room, especially for lovers of Milton, Vondel or epic stories. The quieter scenes of resting workers and sleeping boys fit a bedroom or living room.

FAQ

Who was Johannes Josephus Aarts?

Johannes Josephus Aarts (1871–1934) was a Dutch printmaker and teacher from The Hague who became professor of graphic techniques at the Rijksakademie in Amsterdam in 1911.

What is Aarts best known for?

His copper engravings of labourers and beggars from around 1900, among the high points of early twentieth-century Dutch printmaking, and his 1898 illustrations for Vondel's Lucifer.

What is Vondel's Lucifer?

A 1654 Dutch play by Joost van den Vondel about the rebellion of the angels. Aarts illustrated its first English translation, by Leonard Charles van Noppen, in 1898.

Where can I see Aarts's work?

The Rijksmuseum's print room in Amsterdam holds a large group of his prints and drawings, including Lucifer plates such as The Rebels in Hell. Many can be viewed online.

Did Aarts work in wood engraving?

Yes. Until about 1900 he worked mainly in wood engraving, then helped revive copper engraving in the Netherlands.

Related Artists

• Jan Toorop: Dutch artist of the same generation
• Käthe Kollwitz: German printmaker of working people
• Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen: French artist of workers and street life