Former Residence of Jac Maris

The former home of Dutch sculptor Jac Maris (1900–1996) is located at Looistraat 57 in Heumen, Gelderland. The house is now known as the Ateliermuseum Jac Maris. The building was originally an exhibition pavilion that was built in 1913 for the National and International Agricultural Exhibition in The Hague. In 1926, the pavilion was rented by Jac Maris, because of the good light and the space it offered for his work as an artist. In 1940, he bought the building and renovated it extensively: the thatched roof was replaced by roof tiles and the wooden walls by brick. After the Second World War, he added a spacious living room, which now serves as an exhibition space.

Jac Maris used the building as a home and studio. He worked there on an extensive oeuvre in stone, bronze, metal, ceramics and wood. His work can be found throughout the Netherlands, including many war and memorial monuments. An important theme in his work was human suffering, especially that caused by war and injustice.

During the Second World War, Jac Maris played a role in the resistance. He helped people in hiding to find a hiding place and himself became involved in illegal activities against the German occupiers. At that time, his home and studio not only offered shelter to art, but also to people who were in danger. After the war, Maris processed his experiences in various memorials and war monuments, including the well-known National Monument Kamp Amersfoort.

After his death in 1996, his home was transformed into a museum. The Ateliermuseum Jac Maris displays more than 200 sculptures and objects, as well as hundreds of drawings and paintings. The museum also has a special war cabinet, which focuses on Maris' resistance work and the impact of the war on his life and art.

The museum is one of the few studio museums in the Netherlands and offers a special insight into the life of an artist who deeply embedded his ideals and fight against injustice in his work. More information can be found at www.marishuis.nl.

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Source

• Text: RJArmy.nl
• Photos: RJ Army