Jos Lussenburg
Encyclopedia
Johannes "Jos" Lussenburg (Enkhuizen
, 20 November 1889 - Nunspeet
, 28 July 1975) was a Dutch
painter
and musician
.
Lussenburg was a self-taught
painter. Originally he was a professional musician
: he was music-teacher at several music schools, played the violin
and was conductor
of several choirs.
, a small fishing
village at the west-coast of the former Zuiderzee, currently the IJsselmeer
. After his marriage in 1917 to Jantje Langendijk he moved to Meerssen
in Limburg
. The couple had three children: a girl Baukje (born 1918) and two boys Hans and Loek (born 1920 and 1926 respectively)
in 1918 Lussenburg's parents moved to Nunspeet
, a village near the Zuiderzee south-coast and after a family visit Jos gave up his job as a teacher
in the South to move with his family to Nunspeet
because he loved it as a place to paint.
Lussenburg's grandfather was a professional fisherman
from Enkhuizen
and he loved the romance of the rough live as fisher. He made lots of friends among the many fishermen in the villages and ports around the Zuiderzee.
Due to the construction of the Afsluitdijk
, completed in 1932, the Zuiderzee changed into a fresh-water lake
: the IJsselmeer
. The fishing industry fell into decline in all villages and towns around the new lake.
Many of Lussenburg's paintings show the rough waves of the shallow Zuiderzee with one or more fishing sailing boats in action. Beside his paintings of fishing vessels at sea he also painted portraits of old fishermen, farmers, beggars and some self-portraits.
In 1963 he published a book called De stervende zee (The dying sea) about the end of the fishing industry in the former Zuiderzee. Later, in 1975 a book De stervende Zuiderzee (The dying Zuiderzee) dealt with the same problem. In the books pictures of his paintings together with several stories about the life of the fishers.
Enkhuizen
Enkhuizen is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland and the region of West-Frisia.Enkhuizen was one of the harbour-towns of the VOC, just like Hoorn and Amsterdam, from where overseas trade with the East Indies was conducted. It received city rights in 1355...
, 20 November 1889 - Nunspeet
Nunspeet
Nunspeet is a municipality and town in the central Netherlands. It has been an agricultural site since prehistoric times. It contains a number of villages, like Oosteinde, Westeinde, Hulshorst, Elspeet, Vierhouten and Hoophuizen. Nunspeet has a vivid historical foundation, called Nuwenspete...
, 28 July 1975) was a Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
and musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
.
Lussenburg was a self-taught
Autodidacticism
Autodidacticism is self-education or self-directed learning. In a sense, autodidacticism is "learning on your own" or "by yourself", and an autodidact is a person who teaches him or herself something. The term has its roots in the Ancient Greek words αὐτός and διδακτικός...
painter. Originally he was a professional musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
: he was music-teacher at several music schools, played the violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
and was conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
of several choirs.
Private life
Lussenburg was born in EnkhuizenEnkhuizen
Enkhuizen is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland and the region of West-Frisia.Enkhuizen was one of the harbour-towns of the VOC, just like Hoorn and Amsterdam, from where overseas trade with the East Indies was conducted. It received city rights in 1355...
, a small fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
village at the west-coast of the former Zuiderzee, currently the IJsselmeer
IJsselmeer
IJsselmeer is a shallow artificial lake of 1100 km² in the central Netherlands bordering the provinces of Flevoland, North Holland and Friesland, with an average depth of 5 to 6 m. The IJsselmeer is the largest lake in Western Europe....
. After his marriage in 1917 to Jantje Langendijk he moved to Meerssen
Meerssen
Meerssen is a place and a municipality in southeastern Netherlands.-History:The Treaty of Meerssen was signed in Meerssen in 870. The Treaty of Meerssen was an agreement of the division of the Carolingian Empire by the surviving sons of Louis I, Charles II of the West Franks and Louis the German...
in Limburg
Limburg (Netherlands)
Limburg is the southernmost of the twelve provinces of the Netherlands. It is located in the southeastern part of the country and bordered by the province of Gelderland to the north, Germany to the east, Belgium to the south and part of the west, andthe Dutch province of North Brabant partly to...
. The couple had three children: a girl Baukje (born 1918) and two boys Hans and Loek (born 1920 and 1926 respectively)
in 1918 Lussenburg's parents moved to Nunspeet
Nunspeet
Nunspeet is a municipality and town in the central Netherlands. It has been an agricultural site since prehistoric times. It contains a number of villages, like Oosteinde, Westeinde, Hulshorst, Elspeet, Vierhouten and Hoophuizen. Nunspeet has a vivid historical foundation, called Nuwenspete...
, a village near the Zuiderzee south-coast and after a family visit Jos gave up his job as a teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
in the South to move with his family to Nunspeet
Nunspeet
Nunspeet is a municipality and town in the central Netherlands. It has been an agricultural site since prehistoric times. It contains a number of villages, like Oosteinde, Westeinde, Hulshorst, Elspeet, Vierhouten and Hoophuizen. Nunspeet has a vivid historical foundation, called Nuwenspete...
because he loved it as a place to paint.
Lussenburg's grandfather was a professional fisherman
Fisherman
A fisherman or fisher is someone who captures fish and other animals from a body of water, or gathers shellfish. Worldwide, there are about 38 million commercial and subsistence fishermen and fish farmers. The term can also be applied to recreational fishermen and may be used to describe both men...
from Enkhuizen
Enkhuizen
Enkhuizen is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland and the region of West-Frisia.Enkhuizen was one of the harbour-towns of the VOC, just like Hoorn and Amsterdam, from where overseas trade with the East Indies was conducted. It received city rights in 1355...
and he loved the romance of the rough live as fisher. He made lots of friends among the many fishermen in the villages and ports around the Zuiderzee.
Due to the construction of the Afsluitdijk
Afsluitdijk
The Afsluitdijk is a major causeway in the Netherlands, constructed between 1927 and 1933 and running from Den Oever on Wieringen in North Holland province, to the village of Zurich in Friesland province, over a length of and a width of 90 m, at an initial height of 7.25 m above sea-level.It is...
, completed in 1932, the Zuiderzee changed into a fresh-water lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
: the IJsselmeer
IJsselmeer
IJsselmeer is a shallow artificial lake of 1100 km² in the central Netherlands bordering the provinces of Flevoland, North Holland and Friesland, with an average depth of 5 to 6 m. The IJsselmeer is the largest lake in Western Europe....
. The fishing industry fell into decline in all villages and towns around the new lake.
Career
When Lussenburg hurt his hand in 1923 an infection of a finger on his left hand ended his career as violin player and on advice of his wife he took up painting. But he never lost his love for the music and remained active as director of several choirs in villages near Nunspeet.Many of Lussenburg's paintings show the rough waves of the shallow Zuiderzee with one or more fishing sailing boats in action. Beside his paintings of fishing vessels at sea he also painted portraits of old fishermen, farmers, beggars and some self-portraits.
In 1963 he published a book called De stervende zee (The dying sea) about the end of the fishing industry in the former Zuiderzee. Later, in 1975 a book De stervende Zuiderzee (The dying Zuiderzee) dealt with the same problem. In the books pictures of his paintings together with several stories about the life of the fishers.