Henri Bol



Henri Cornelis Bol (10 January 1945 – 10 July 2000) was a Dutch still life painter, whose work was noted for its realism and trompe-l'œil technique.

Life and career
Bol was born and raised in Eindhoven as the eldest son of painter Kees Bol. As a young adult he studied at the Design Academy Eindhoven (1960-1964), where his father was a teacher, and for several years, he also attended the Graphic School in Eindhoven. He also trained at the Technical College in Roermond where he was taught printing.

In September 1966, he met Gerrie Klinkenberg, eldest daughter of a police inspector. They were married in April 1968. In the autumn of 1967 he applied successfully for a job as a creative therapist at the hospital for mental health Huize Padua in Boekel. The family lived in Handel. In 1972 the "Blaauw Laaken", a grade 1 listed house build in 1604, was acquired in the old fortified town of Heusden.

In the late sixties Bol visited the Museum Arnhem, and became fascinated by Dutch painters Raoul Hynckes, Dick Ket, Pyke Koch and Carel Willink. The paintings made by these artists inspired him to focus seriously on painting. Soon Bol was given the opportunity to exhibit his work. With fellow artists, he showed his paintings at Gemert Castle and at the Old Mill in Thorn. In 1973 Bol exhibited his work at the Town Hall of Hilvarenbeek.

An avid collector, he acquired antiques like furniture, pewter, enamel, (pocket)watches, musical instruments, glassware, china and books. Historical objects which served only one purpose, namely to act as subjects in his still lifes. Bol was fascinated by their history and beauty.

In the late 1970s Bol exhibited in the Old Town Hall of Beek en Donk and at the Philips Leisure Centre in Eindhoven. Subsequently, he showed his work at Smelik & Stokking Galleries in The Hague, Gallery Mokum in Amsterdam and Gallery Gogol in Düsseldorf, Germany. In 1988 his wife Gerrie Bol-Klinkenberg launched her own Art Gallery "Blaauw Laaken" where Bol exhibited his paintings with great success until he died in 2000.

In the mid-1990s RTL Nederland aired ‘Toppers’, a series of documentaries featuring Dutch celebrities, presented by Willibrord Frequin. Central in one episode was Frits Philips, of the Philips Electronics company. Bol featured in this program because he was working on a still life, commissioned in honour of the 90th birthday of the industrialist.

In 2002, on the occasion of the publication of a monograph on his work, an exhibition was organized at the Museum Kempenland in Eindhoven, titled "Sophisticated and timeless, still lifes by Henri Bol (1945-2000)".

In 2022 Henri Bol will be the subject of 2 exhibitions in Heusden. Museum Het Gouverneurshuis will focus on Bol's artistic upbringing in Eindhoven, how the town Heusden inspired his work, and it will celebrate his success as an artist. In Het Blaauw Laaken Kunstkabinet a selection of still life paintings by Henri Bol will be on display. It will give a good overview of the development Bol made as an artist. His paintings will also be placed in the context of the artists who inspired him and with whom he felt connected. A new book on the artist, ''Henri Bol. De leefwereld van een Brabantse fijnschilder'', is also published. The exhibition was officially opened on Friday 22 April 2022 by the King's Commissioner of North Brabant Mrs Ina Adema.