Sonsbeek '49: Europese Beeldhouwkunst in de Open Lucht
1 July - 18 September 1949
Exhibition committee
Marga Klompé (chairman)
C.E. Alexander (city architect)
C. Borstlap (commissioner Arnhem Police)
L.P.J. Braat (Editor in Chief Kroniek van Kunst en Cultuur Amsterdam)
J. van Buggenum (member city council Arnhem)
K.J. Douma (editor Arnhemse Courant)
G. van Emst (director N.V. Veluwse Autobusdienst)
S.H. Frederiks (director municipal plant department Arnhem)
Jan H. de Groot (chairman Werkgemeenschap van Arnhemse Kunstenaars Arnhem)
John Grosman (sculptor, Arnhem)
Jan Havermans (secretary Nederlandse Kring van Beeldhouwers)
A.P. van der Heide (treasurer Werkgemeenschap van Arnhemse kunstenaars)
Fri Heil (sculptor, Arnhem)
L.W. Heil (treasurer Vereniging voor Beeldende Kunst Arnhem)
H.J. Hendriks (inspector Nederlandse Handelmij)
J. Hetzler (editor Arnhems Dagblad)
H.H. van Heuveln (chairman Bedrijfsgroep Horeca)
Gijs Jacobs van den Hof (sculptor, Arnhem)
J. ter Horst (chairman Vereniging voor Beeldende Kunst Arnhem)
B.A. Honig (director N.V. “Meteoor”)
H. Hupkes (chairman Middenstands Centrale)
H. Jaffé (curator Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam)
F.J. ten Kate (chairman V.V.V. Arnhem)
H.M. Keppel Hesselink (former director V.V.V. Arnhem)
W. Kieken (administrator V.V.V. Arnhem)
E.D. Klinkert (director N.V. N.B.M)
H.H. Kock (member of city council Arnhem)
Hildo Krop (chairman Nederlandse Kring van Beeldhouwers, Amsterdam)
G.J. van Lerven (director Genootschap Kunstoefening Arnhem)
A.J. de Lorm (director Gemeentemuseum Arnhem)
Johan Mekkink (board member Vereniging Beeldende Kunst Arnhem)
A.F. Nendorff (representative N.S.)
W.J.B. Sandberg (chairman Federatie Beroepskunstenaars, Amsterdam)
K. Schuurman (curator Gemeentemuseum Den Haag)
Gerard Temme (secretary Werkgemeenschap van Arnhemse Kunstenaars)
J. Vet (director V.V.V. Arnhem)
J.C.W. de Winkel (treasurer V.V.V. Arnhem)
F.W. Viehoff (representative KLM Gelderland en Overijssel)
H. Vis (director N.V. Gelderse Tramweg Mij)
D. Wisselo (secretary department Gelderland Vakgroep Personenvervoer)
Johan van der Woude (literary scientist, Arnhem)
D. Wijlhuizen (editor Groot Arnhem)
Johan H. van Zweden (sculptor, Arnhem)
Theme
It is hard to imagine that at the time of the first Sonsbeek exhibition, sculpture as an autonomous medium had barely acquired its right to exist. Unlike other countries such as France and Germany, Dutch sculpture was an integral part of architecture until roughly the end of the first quarter of the 20th century: sculptures mostly functioned as ornaments and were often literally fused with buildings. It was not until the 1930s that an increasing focus on 'free sculptures' occured. During Sonsbeek '49: Europese Beeldhouwkunst in de Open Lucht, memories of the horrors of the Second World War are still fresh. Moreover, the physical traces of the war are still present in Arnhem's urban landscape, which had suffered a lot of damage as a result of bombings. Sonsbeek '49 is primarily aimed at the mental recovery of the people of Arnhem. Throughout the Netherlands, rebuilding was accompanied by a boom of municipal orders for war monuments. The demand for monuments was also apparent during Sonsbeek '49, where a good number of the total of 199 sculptures on display served as monuments. A jury consisting of members of the Dutch Sculptors' Circle was responsible for selecting the sculptures. Unsurprisingly, as many as three-quarters of the artists came from the Netherlands. Other artists came from Belgium, France, Denmark, and Switzerland, among others.
Artists
Belgium
Jozef Cantré, Charles Leplae, Constant Meunier, George Minne, Henri Puvrez, Rik Wouters.
Denmark
Adam Fischer, Jorgen Gudmundsen Holmgren, Henrik Starcke.
Germany
Georg Kolbe
United Kingdom
Frank Dobson, Jacob Epstein, Henry Moore.
France
Emile A. Bourdelle, Joseph Bernard, Charles Despiau, Pablo Gargallo, Jacques Lipchitz, Aristide Maillol, Raymond Martin, Auguste Renoir, Auguste Rodin, Ossip Zadkine.
Austria
Fritz Wotruba
Switserland
Jacob Probst
The Netherlands
Frits J. van Hall, Henk Henriët, Johan Limpers, Cor van Teeseling, Gerrit van der Veen, Jozef Mendes da Costa, Lambertus Zijl, Mari Andriessen, Nel Bakema, G. Bolhuis, Lidi Buma-van Mourik Broekman, Fred Carasso, Pearl Couzijn-Perlmuter, Wessel Couzijn, Ab Diekerhof, Theo Dobbelman, Emil Epplé, Vincent P.S. Esser, Paul Gregoire, Pier A. de Groot, John Grosman, Ben Guntenaar, Jan Willem Havermans, Fri Heil, Joop C. Hekman, Frederik Hoevenagel, Piet D’Hont, Ivo van der Horst, Hans Ittmann, Gijs Jacobs van den Hof, Nel Klaassen, Carel Kneulman, Paul Ph. Koning, Hildo Krop, Titus Leeser, Hubert van Lith, Louise van Luyn-Metz, Jan P.W. Meefout, Th. Van der Nahmer, Charlotte van Pallandt, Johan Polet, Hanni Raedecker, John. A. Raedecker, Hans Reicher, Wilhelmus Reyers, Han Richters, Jacob M. Roosenburg, Gra J.W. Rueb, Gerarda Rueter, Coen Schilt, Kees Schrikker, Frits Sieger, Cephas Stauthamer, Johannes P.C. Verhulst, Charles Weddepohl, Johannes Gustaaf Wertheim, Han Wezelaar, Ybe van der Wielen, Johan van Zweden, Hendrik J.M. Zweerus, Chr. Hassoldt, L.H. Sondaar
Added later
Wilhelm Lehmbrück, Ernst Barlach, Albert Termote
Locations
Sonsbeek park
Publication
Catalogue
SONSBEEK ’49: Europese Beeldhouwkunst in de Open Lucht, 1949
Design/samenstelling: Gemeentemuseum Arnhem
Publisher: Vada, Wageningen
Facts and Figures
⋅ 125.000 visitors ⋅ 3 out of 4 artists from The Netherlands ⋅ 199 artworks
Still visible in Arnhem
Nel Klaassen, Eert de Vrouw, 1949
Location: Utrechtsestraat, Arnhem (in between ArtEZ and Museum Arnhem)
English 
Dutch