Fiep Westendorp . Dutch Illustrator of Jip and Janneke and Pim and Pom.

Fiep Westendorp (1916-2004) was a Dutch illustrator who became especially popular due to her long-term collaboration with writer Annie M.G. Schmidt.

Dutch guys and gals have grown up with her illustrations over three generations. Her most well known characters are Jip and Janneke, two silhouetted kids who got up to all manner of things. It ran as a series of stories featured in the Dutch newspaper Het Parool from 1953 to 1957. Now, the Dutch department store HEMA has a huge selection of her illustrations on mugs, plates, stationery products etc.

I first became aware of her work when I purchased a couple of postcards in Amsterdam a couple of years ago. She has such a beautiful painterly style.

Two other firm favourites have been the tales of two cats Pim and Pom. Below are Fiep’s original creations alongside their modern day realisations.

She has illustrated numerous posters, billboards and books, some of which are featured here.

Since the regular Dutch awards for illustrations always eluded her, she was given a unique award for her entire career in 1997.  At the end of 60 years of artistic creation, Fiep Westendorp received the Oeuvre Penseel, the highest possible Dutch award for an illustrator of children’s books. I should think so too lol.