Artists
D. (DICK) KET
1902 Den Helder (The Netherlands) - 1940 Bennekom (The Netherlands)
Due to tragic and difficult circumstances Dick Ket’s life and work were closely intertwined. The artist was born with a heart defect. He was a frail child and was bullied in school as a consequence. His physical and mental issues increased over the years. He lead a secluded life and did not leave his parental home for the last ten years until his early death aged 37. The artist believed that his ailments were his fate and that his artistic talent was the compensation for his challenging situation. It was his destiny to develop his artistic skills and serve society by creating meaningful artworks. Ket’s oeuvre is best known for his self-portraits and still lifes, genres he was able to paint without having to leave his studio. His self-portraits are his most personal and expressive works. They display the development of his artistic skills as well as his physical decline over the years.