Marie “Rie” Cramer (1887 – 1977) was a Dutch writer and illustrator of children’s literature in the interwar years.
She was born in Sukabumi in what was then the Dutch East Indies and was the daughter of Hendrik Cramer, a ship captain, and Elisabeth Frederica Schenk. She moved to the Netherlands with her mother and her youngest sister in 1896, where they settled in Arnhem.
She studied drawing in Arnhem and then from 1905 to 1907 at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague. She created set designs and costumes for the theatre and the Dutch pavilion at the 1939 New York World's Fair. Her early work was influenced by illustrators like Edmund Dulac, Aubrey Beardsley, and Arthur Rackham and they had a distinct Art Nouveau style. From the 1920s on, her illustrations became more simplified.
She was one of the main illustrators for a leading Durch youth magazine called Zonneschijn (Sunshine). Some of her work was banned during WWII because it attacked National Socialism. She also wrote for a leading underground newspaper during the war. A very interesting lady!
This is a large original colour lithograph taken from a series of eight known works featuring stylised images of children in traditional Dutch costumes. These are signed in the image by Cramer. They were created shortly before WWII and they were issued in a period when there were many budget restrictions and very little money was available to schools to purchase expensive teaching materials.
Many of these prints were in constant use in the classroom, and as a result, these large display plates are now very difficult to find in good condition.
This is an original LARGE colour lithograph by Cramer. It is not to be confused with later postcards, more mass-produced book illustrations or smaller reproductions. The detail looks almost like it has been painted with watercolour - but is is indeed a fine printed work by her.
It shows two little girls dressed in traditional Dutch costume. They are shown in a landscape setting. One girl carries a little rag doll. The print is in good display condition - the colours are still nice and strong, there are no tears or creases to the sheet - and no evidence of pin holes where the print might have been pinned to the classroom wall. There are little areas of spotting to the lighter areas of the sky - but not evident when the work is on display.
It has recently been mounted with a new fresh acid-free window mount - and is all ready for you to have placed into a frame of your choice.
Postage will be in the UK with Parcelforce - due to the size of the artwork. This will cost £10 and applied to your order at the checkout. Sadly, UK posting only.