Theresia van der Pant

Theresia van der Pant (1924-2013) is considered one of the most important Dutch post-war sculptors of the 20th century. She mainly created abstracted, graceful animal sculptures that were made from bronze or stone. She did not depict animals as individuals, but created sculptures in which characteristic forms and postures determine the composition. ‘Animals do not pretend or pose, and that gave them a certain freedom,’ Van der Pant said. Many of these sculptures from her oeuvre are still on display in public spaces.

In 1950, Van der Pant worked in the studio of the Belgian sculptor Oscar Jespers in Brussels. He taught her to develop her visual memory. From that moment on, Van der Pant modeled and drew only from memory after extensive observation. Her breakthrough came in 1953, when she won second prize at the prestigious Prix de Rome for Sculpture. In 1987, Van der Pant received the Judith Leyster Prize, a lifetime achievement award for female artists.

Cover image: Exhibition overview Theresia van der Pant | photo: Studio Gerrit Schreurs