Early Life, Family and Training

Anthonius Bernardus Kelder, known as Toon Kelder, was born in Rotterdam, Netherlands, on 24 November 1894. His early years in the Netherlands provided the foundation for a life spent observing form and light. He sought formal instruction at the Rotterdam Academy of Visual Arts and later at the Royal Academy of Visual Arts in The Hague. During his time as a student, he studied under Alexander van Maasdijk and Frederik Nachtweh, learning the technical disciplines that would support his later shifts in style.

In 1925, his personal life became closely linked to his creative output when he married Alexandrine Gortmans. She was more than a partner; Alexandrine became the muse for Toon Kelder, a presence that would influence his work through the years. Their connection was a constant through his development as a painter and sculptor.

Evolution of Technique and Style

During the 1920s, Kelder’s brushwork was heavy and expressive. He focused on flowers, figures, nudes, and cityscapes, applying color with a strength that aligned with the Bergense school. These early years were defined by an exuberant use of color that gave his compositions a certain weight. As the decades progressed, his approach shifted. Between 1930 and 1945, the work took on a more imaginative and rarefied character. The heavy strokes gave way to a different sensibility, as he began to paint nudes, still lifes, and landscapes using light and hazy colors.

A significant change arrived in 1947. Influenced by the École de Paris, he began to abstract both form and color. This period saw his work move toward a constructivist style, stripping away the literal to find a more essential structure. He moved away from the descriptive nature of his earlier landscapes and figures, seeking instead to capture the core of his subjects through these more disciplined, geometric arrangements.

Sculpture and Later Artistic Work

By the late 1940s, Kelder’s focus shifted toward the three-dimensional. He turned to sculpture, finding a sense of fulfillment in the physical weight of the medium. While his sculptural forms often leaned toward abstraction, they were never detached from the natural world. He used motifs from nature as his starting point, translating the essence of a subject into shape and mass. His hands worked through themes of birds, horsemen, masks, and the curves of women's bodies.

This period of experimentation was marked by a drive to innovate and a desire to capture the core of his subjects. His work became increasingly constructivist from 1947 onwards, moving away from the more traditional styles of his earlier years. Beyond his primary focus on painting and sculpture, he maintained a wide range of technical practices. He worked as a draftsperson, illustrator, and etcher, and he also produced works as a watercolorist, pastellist, and exlibrist.

• Figuur (1965)

Notable Works and Artistic Achievements

His output reflects a constant urge to innovate, moving through different modes of expression. In 1926, he painted Portrait of a boy (Small boy Jan), a work that captures a specific moment of youth. His ability to handle form is also seen in his Portrait of Adriaan Daniel Fokker (1887-1972). These early years were marked by a focus on figures and landscapes, often using the expressive brushstrokes and colors associated with the Bergen school.

As his practice shifted toward abstraction and sculpture, the materials changed alongside his vision. In 1965, he created Figuur, a piece fashioned from metal and concrete. Even in these more abstract forms, the essence of a subject from nature—such as a bird or a woman's body—often remains the starting point for the work. This period of his life saw him moving toward a constructivist approach, seeking to capture the core of his subjects through stripped-back shapes.

Beyond his individual creations, his presence in the artistic community was marked by his membership in Pulchri Studio. This connection placed him within the professional circles of the Hague, alongside other practitioners of his time.

Where to See the Works Today

His paintings and sculptures are held in several collections across the Netherlands. You can find his work in the Kunstmuseum Den Haag and the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam. The Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam and the Van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven also house pieces from his career. These collections hold various stages of his development, from his earlier figurative studies to his later, more abstract forms.

Beyond the borders of the Netherlands, his presence is felt in international institutions. The Museum of Modern Art in New York features his work, and the Kröller-Müller Museum in Otterlo holds pieces as well. These various locations preserve the different ways he approached color and form throughout his life.