Born: 12 Sep 1899, Den Haag – 15 Okt 1958, Amsterdam
Gerardus Hordijk was a Dutch graphic artist, illustrator, monumental artist (set painter), wall painter and painter. Gerard Hordijk was born as the son of the officer Hubertus Salomon Hordijk, who will become Chief Commissioner of Amsterdam in 1903. Gerard Hordijk studies architecture in Delft, but simultaneously studies at the Academy of Visual Arts in The Hague, where he is taught by Willem van Konijnenburg, among others. He successfully completed both studies. In 1927 he moved to Paris, where he moved to the complex at 26 Rue du Départ, where Mondrian also lives. In 1927 he makes a portrait of Mondrian; this oil portrait has been in the possession of the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag since 1971. In his first years in Paris, he made many oil paints, gouaches and watercolors, including circus and ballet. In 1929 Hordijk met his wife, the American Margaret Mathews. In 1935 Hordijk exchanges Paris for Amsterdam, but first makes a trip to New York with Margaret and John Gerard. The heavily pregnant Margaret gives birth to a daughter, Marian, on June 17, 1935 in New York. During this stay, Hordijk has a first solo exhibition, in the Contemporary Arts Gallery. After returning to Amsterdam, the family moves into a studio house at Zomerdijkstraat, at number 22. In Amsterdam, Hordijk has a busy life. He exhibits often and sells well and that means he has to work hard to keep his exhibits stocked. He also designs theater sets and costumes for various important plays.