Boudewijn Ietswaart Explained

Bernhard Jan Boudewijn Ietswaart (Amsterdam, 12 December 1936 - 23 December 2010) was a Dutch graphic designer, illustrator and type designer who worked almost 20 years outside his native country, especially in Mexico, Spain and Venezuela. His hand-painted book covers are considered among the best of the genre.[1] The University of Amsterdam maintains a collection of his work.[2]

Biography

Education and first works

Ietswaart, raised in a family of artists and editors, entered the Gerrit Rietveld academy to study with Theo Kurpershoek. He was recognized as an exceptionally talented student.[3] Kurpershoek introduced him to Gerrit Noordzij and editor W. ten Have for which he as a student designed a series of book-covers. After graduating he designed as freelancer for editor Em. Querido in 1959 and 1960 a series of book covers.

Best edited books

Five books with covers drawn by Ietswaart were on the annual list of 50 best edited books, a list compiled by the organization Collectieve Propaganda van het Nederlandse Boek.

These books are the following:

1959
1960
1963

Mexico

Editor and graphic designer A.A.M. Stols worked as regional advisor in the 1950s for UNESCO in Latin America. In that capacity Stols was a professor at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and advisor with the editing house Fondo de Cultura Económica. The Dutch government and the United Nations signed in 1958 an agreement that was the start of the UN associate experts programme.[4] Stols was able to create a position for an associate expert and offered it to Ietswaart, who had made a strong impression on Stols.

At the end of 1960 Ietswaart moved to Mexico. As UNESCO officer he assisted Stols at the UNAM and the Fondo de Cultura Económica.[5] In the 18 months of his assignment, Ietswaart designed about 200 book covers, mainly for Fondo de Cultura Económica and the UNAM review.[6] His work was influential among designers in Mexico. The so-called Balduina moment, after Ietswaarts first name in Spanish, marked a before and after in the use of images on book covers of the Fondo de Cultura Económica[7] [8]

Barcelona and South-America

Between 1964 and 1970 Ietswaart lived and worked in Barcelona where he worked for editors Luis Miracle, Editorial Juventud and Bertelsmann. In 1972 he travelled for work to Lima. After touring Venezuela, Colombia and Brasil he settled in Caracas where he worked among others for advertising agency ARS.

Amsterdam

Early 1975 Ietswaart returned to Amsterdam. He was appointed head of the graphics department of the Nederlandse Omroep Stichting.[9] [10] Two years later he resigned, unhappy with the company culture.[11] He abandoned letter design and book covers to concentrate on illustrations for children´s books and scientific publications.

Early in the 21st century, Ietswaart was surprised by the attention his early work obtained. He was able to contribute in 2008-2009 to the exhibit of his work organized by graphic designers organization Cìrculo de Tipógrafos in Mexico in collaboration with Dutch designer Jan Middendorp.

Personal life

Ietswaart was born in Amsterdam as son of David Ietswaart and Femmichje Jantina Smit. His father was an amateur illustrator. His mother worked at the Instituut voor Dialectologie, Volkskunde en Naamkunde and appears as Marietje Moederman in the book series Het Bureau by J.J. Voskuil. [12] [13]

In World War II Ietswaart moved with his family to the house of editor Berend Modderman. David Ietswaart and Berend´s son Sybren were good friends. The house contained a large collection of books that marked Ietswaart´s passion for cover design. Ietswaart´s mother remarried to Sybren Modderman after the war.

Ietswaart married Ingeborg Kurpershoek, costume and scenic designer and daughter of his teacher. In 1968 their daughter Anne was born.

At the end of 2010, after a short illness, Ietswaart passed away in Amsterdam at the age of 74.

Tribute

A selection of works

Book covers

The Netherlands

W. ten Have, Amsterdam: Carrillon-series
Em. Querido, Amsterdam

Mexico

Fondo de Cultura Económica
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Editorial Joaquín Mortiz S.A.

Barcelona

Luis Miracle

Notes and References

  1. Book: Middendorp, Jan. Dutch type. 010 Publishers. 2004. 90-6450-460-1. Rotterdam. 109. en.
  2. Web site: Collection: Collectie Boudewijn Ietswaart Allard Pierson - The Collections of the University of Amsterdam. 2021-05-04. archives.uba.uva.nl.
  3. Book: van Dijk, C.. Alexandre A. M. Stols, 1900-1973, uitgever/typograaf : een documentatie. Walburg Pers. 1992. 90-6011-785-9. Zutphen. 782109050.
  4. Web site: UNESCO. Associate Experts Scheme - UNESCO Archives AtoM catalogue. 2021-05-08. atom.archives.unesco.org.
  5. Web site: stadsredactie. December 12, 1960. Grafisch ontwerper (24 jaar) krijgt hoge functie in Mexico. live. May 4, 2021. Delpher. De Telegraaf. https://web.archive.org/web/20210512064541/https://www.delpher.nl/nl/kranten/view?coll=ddd&identifier=ddd:110588085:mpeg21:p007 . 2021-05-12 .
  6. Book: Garone Gravier, Marina. Historia en cubierta : el Fondo de Cultura Económica a través de sus portadas (1934-2009). Fondo de Cultura Económica. 2011. 978-607-16-0564-1. México. 297–300. 758919918. es.
  7. Book: Garone Gravier, Marina. Tipografía en Latinoamérica : orígenes y identidad. Editora Blucher. 2013. 978-85-212-0758-0. São Paulo, SP, Brasil. 50. 1129584032. es.
  8. Web site: El legado de Boudewijn Ietswaart por Iván Pérez y Concepción Contreras by Cultura editorial en México. Historias sonoras • A podcast on Anchor. 2021-05-05. Anchor. en.
  9. Web site: boudewijn ietswaart Vorm van vermaak. 2021-05-05. vormvanvermaak.nl.
  10. Web site: Afdeling Grafisch Ontwerp - Beeld en Geluid Wiki. 2021-05-06. wiki.beeldengeluid.nl.
  11. Web site: de Jong. Feike. September 22, 2010. The rediscovery of Boudewijn Ietswaart. live. May 3, 2021. en.fontke.com. Fontke.com. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20200925102110/https://en.fontke.com/article/2793/ . 2020-09-25 .
  12. Web site: Nieuw in de Collectie: Beelden van het Instituut voor Dialectologie, Volkskunde en Naamkunde in de jaren '60 en '70. 2021-05-14. www.meertens.knaw.nl.
  13. Web site: Anna. 2014-02-08. anna is: Mevrouw Modderman komt thuis. 2021-05-14. anna is.
  14. Web site: Feike de Jong en Jan Middendorp. January 4, 2011. Eye Magazine Blog Boudewijn Ietswaart, 1936-2010. live. May 3, 2021. www.eyemagazine.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20150914172250/http://www.eyemagazine.com/blog/post/boudewijn-ietswaart-1936-2010 . 2015-09-14 .
  15. Web site: 2009-10-19. Boudewijn Ietswaart, "El holandés errante". 2021-05-05. Mecate. es.
  16. Web site: Boudewijn Ietswaart. 2021-05-05. FontShop. EN.

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