Eduard Houbolt

Eduard Johannes Fredericus Houbolt ( Delft , August 9, 1885 – The Hague, January 14, 1954 ) was a Dutch painter, graphic artist , art restorer and publicist.

Houbolt was born in Hof van Delft as the son of Willem Frederik Houbolt and Johanna Maria Margaretha van der Hoeven. In 1918 Houbolt married Francisca Nowee. This marriage was dissolved in 1938. He later married Maria Cornelia Zomerdijk.

After Houbolt was rejected for military service, he devoted himself to painting. From 1905 to 1908 he studied at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague for the MO-certificate drawing. Since his parents thought an artist’s life had no chance, he stopped his education and then followed an office training. Houbolt then worked for some time in the office of a vehicle wholesaler. Nevertheless, the young Houbolt opted for a career as an artist. In 1910 he received his first private commissions. In 1911 he took part in an exhibition at the ‘Leidsche Kunstvereeniging’. His portrait drawings were praised by the press, but his painting was labeled as immature.

Since then his work has been represented in many other exhibitions in Rotterdam, Amsterdam and The Hague. In 1917 Houbolt received painting lessons from Frits Jansen for six months.

In 1924 Houbolt spent a year in Paris. In 1926 he published about his time in Paris in the article Walks through Montmartre with painter’s box and drawing book in Elsevier’s Gillustrated Monthly Journal . He also regularly wrote in the monthly magazine Stemmen des Tijds.

After Paris, Houbolt lived in Belgium for ten years (in Bruges and Antwerp ). In 1937 his work was exhibited in Johan D. Scherft ‘s art gallery. In 1939 he settled permanently in The Hague.

Houbolt researched Vermeer’s paintings. For example, he believed that the bottom right of the painting’ View of Delft ‘ shows ships from an earlier layer of paint. In addition, Houbolt made a study of the place where Vermeer would have painted ‘The Little Street ‘. As a result of his research, he has published in several journals.

Houbolt died at the age of 68 in The Hague. He was buried in Oud Eik en Duinen cemetery. 

Houbolt concentrated mainly on painting nudes, landscapes, Biblical scenes and portraits. In addition, he was involved in the restoration of old and modern art.”