Julie de Graag

• Name — Anna Julia "Julie" de Graag • Born — 18 July 1877 • Birthplace — Gorinchem • Died — 2 February 1924 • Place of death — The Hague • Education — Royal Academy of Fine Arts, The Hague • Known for — Woodcuts, drawing • Style — Art Nouveau

Born in Gorinchem, Julie de Graag was the fourth of six children. After her third birthday, their parents, Johannes de Graag (1839–1916) and Karoline Stephana Couwenberg (1850–1935), moved to Bois-le-Duc. As a child, she was identified as having a fragile health, and received special attention. Her mother, who was a talented amateur painter, passed on to her daughter her passion for manual work and drawing. In the 1890s, the family moved to The Hague.

Julie de Graag quickly entered the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in The Hague, in a class made up solely of women. In particular, she received training from Johannes Josephus Aarts, and the art critic Henk Bremmer, with whom she studied perspective. Henk Bremmer also advised Julie de Graag to focus on woodcuts in colour. Julie de Graag then established herself as an independent artist and developed multiple skills in woodcut, embroidery, and painting.

In 1904, Julie de Graag moved to Laren, in North Holland. She befriended the sculptor Joseph Mendes da Costa and his wife, as well as the painter Bart van der Leck. Together, they collaborated to develop and art that draw on more stylized shapes. On 1 January 1908, a fire ravaged the farm where she had established her workshop, resulting in the destruction of a large number of her works. Alongside her work as a professional artist, Julie de Graag also taught drawing at the Utrecht School for Girls.

On 2 February 1924, while living in The Hague, Julie de Graag committed suicide. She suffered from depression, and continually doubted her artistic abilities.

• Illustration — Portrait of a Laren peasant woman named Lysemeut (1916) • Illustration — Portrait of an unknown man (1915) • Illustration — Portrait of a woman from the front • Illustration — Portrait of Lijs Bus (1916) • Illustration — Portrait of Hendricus Petrus Bremmer (1916) • Illustration — Portrait of Geertje Kuijer (1916) • Illustration — Portrait of Dina Klaver (1916) • Illustration — Portrait of Geertje Kuijer (1916)

• Illustration — Macaw • Illustration — Dog's head • Illustration — Dog (1917) • Illustration — Grasshopper (1918) • Illustration — Two owls • Illustration — Spider in a web (1918) • Illustration — Akbar, Max, Poes • Illustration — December (1917) • Illustration — Shell (1921)

• Illustration — Flower • Illustration — Sunflower (1919) • Illustration — Cyclamen (1920) • Illustration — Rose bush • Illustration — October (1917) • Illustration — East Indian cherry (1919) • Illustration — Godetia (1919) • Illustration — Fern (1920) • Illustration — Three slugs on a cabbage • Illustration — September (1917) • Illustration — Dripping mushroom (1916) • Illustration — Cauliflower

• Illustration — Farm in the snow (1918) • Illustration — Winter evening (1919) • Illustration — A thatched farm (1919) • Illustration — Winter (1920)