Johannes Hendricus Jurres (18751946) was a Dutch painter who was compared to Rembrandt, Velazquez and Rubens during his lifetime. He was one of the most influential painters of the interwar period.[1]
Jurres was born into a Catholic family and was inspired by Catholic art, particularly Neuville and Doré, and military drills from a young age. At age 15 he went to Amsterdam to get a higher education in the arts. Here he became a big fan of the stories of Cervantes, Diego Hurtado, Mendoza, and Alain-René, which would inspire him to travel in later years.
He first met with success when a series of illustrations of Cervantes' Don Quixote was published in an edition of that work.[2] During this time he became acquainted with the works of Rembrandt, Rubens and Velazquez, who would particularly influence his style; eventually Jurres' skill and style earned him a place alongside those painters in the eyes of his contemporaries. In 1921 Jurres becomes a professor at the Rijksakedemie.
His work was included in the 1939 exhibition and sale Onze Kunst van Heden (Our Art of Today) at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.[3] Jurres' work is on display in the Rijksmuseum, Fries Museum, Dordrechts Museum and Singer in Laren.[4]