JPC Grolman
Johan Paul Constantinus Grolman
Utrecht 1841 – 1927 The Hague
J.P.C. Grolman was a Utrecht painter.
Among the Utrecht painters who were active around 1900, J.P.C. Grolman in a separate place.
The Lange Viestraat
Grolman was born in the Lange Viestraat. Until his fiftieth year he worked as a decoration and house painter.
As an artist, he was initially described as a Sunday painter, but in 1891 he passed on his business to his son and devoted himself entirely to painting.
In 1895 he re-erected his house, Lange Viestraat 32, and set up an old-Dutch-style studio there.
He developed a good technique, making his paintings and watercolors still look so fresh as if they were made yesterday.
Subjects
He was very interested in a number of subjects. Firstly, capturing its own environment: the city of Utrecht in general and District C in particular. These cityscapes are warm in appearance and give a good impression of the city of Utrecht at the end of the 19th century. In this he can be compared to his second cousin Anthony Grolman.
Religious
Johan Grolman was a religious person. He saw himself as the successor of the 19th-century church painter Johannes Bosboom in The Hague and painted many church interiors in his style.
Almost all churches of Utrecht are recorded by him. During his many travels through the country, Grolman immortalized numerous churches and government buildings.
The Jewish church life
What is special is that, as a Protestant, he was very interested in Jewish-religious life. He often visited the synagogue in Springweg to learn how to understand Jewish worship and then to paint.
Memberships and exhibitions
Grolman was a member of the Painting and Drawing Society for Love in Utrecht for 50 years and often exhibited at the annual exhibitions. He was also a member of Arti et Amicitiae in Amsterdam.
Passing away
Johan Grolman died on December 14, 1927 in The Hague, where he stayed due to health problems. He was buried in “his” Utrecht in “all simplicity.”
His extensive oeuvre was auctioned after his death, making many of his works untraceable.
Collections
Various museums and institutions have Grolman’s work in their collection; Volksbuurtmuseum Neighborhood C, the Bartholomeïgasthuis, the Utrecht Archives, and the Centraal Museum all in Utrecht and the Jewish Historical Museum, and Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
source: wikipedia / rkd