Albert Houthuesen

Albert Houthuesen (3 October 1903 – 20 October 1979) was a Dutch-born British artist. He was born in Amsterdam, but came to London in 1912, following the death of his father. During the 1920s, he studied at the Royal College of Art with Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Edward Burra, Ceri Richards and Cecil Collins. His work was significantly influenced by Rembrandt, Constable, Turner and van Gogh.

Houthuesen's art is autobiographical and belongs to no 20th century school. He worked in virtual isolation for sixty years, producing still-lives, landscapes, seascapes, and portraits, as well as biblical, mythical and allegorical scenes.

Souren Melikian, in a feature article on Houthuesen in the International Herald Tribune (9.10.10) wrote: "I suspect that Houthuesen will come to be seen as one of the great figures in post-World War II Western art".

Houthuesen’s unique story is mirrored in his work which can be viewed, together with a comprehensive chronology and the 1976 BBC film on his life, on www.houthuesen.com Link label. Each work reproduced is accompanied by the artist’s words spoken to his biographer Richard Nathanson.

Major public collections

• The Ashmolean Museum, Oxford;
• The British Museum, London;
• City Museum and Art Gallery, Carlisle;
• Graves Art Gallery, Sheffield;
• City Art Gallery, Leeds;
• National Museum Cardiff, Wales;
• Nottingham Castle Museum & Art Gallery;
• Royal Air Force Museum, Hendon;
• The Potteries Museum, Stoke-on-Trent;
• Tate Britain, London;
• The Theatre Museum, London;
• Ulster Museum, Belfast;
• Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

Further reading

• Nathanson, Richard Walk To The Moon - The Story of Albert Houthuesen, 2008.
• Buckman, David Artists In Britain Since 1945, 2006.
• Nathanson, Richard Walk To The Moon - The Story of Albert Houthuesen, 1990.
• Rothenstein, John British Art Since 1900, 1962.
• Rothenstein, John Albert Houthuesen: An Appreciation 1969.
• Rothenstein, John Modern English Painters vol. 111, 1974.

External links

• Albert Houthuesen 1903 - 1979