Willem Boon

(Dordrecht 1902-1986 Rotterdam)

Willem Boon was educated at the Rotterdam Academy of Visual Arts (1918-1921) and would work in Rotterdam all his life. He was a student of J.G. Heijberg, A.H.R. van Maasdijk and F. Nachtweh. He worked as a sculptor, graphic artist, painter, designer, watercolorist, etcher, draftsman, lithographer and wood engraver. Boon made figure depictions and portraits, cityscapes, still lifes and non-figurative work (after 1940). In addition, he designed book bindings and covers. He was a member of the Professional Association of Visual Artists BBK and the Rotterdam R'33. He co-founded Van R’33. Artists such as Marius Richters, Quirijn van Tiel, Herman Bieling and Hendrik Chabot joined the group. With the bombing of Rotterdam in May 1940, much of Boon's early work was lost.

Literature: 
Vollmer 1953-1962, dI. 1, 1953, 266; Scheen 1969-1970, dl. 1, p. 130 (als: Boon, Willem;*); Saur 1992-, dl. 12, 1996, 639; Jacobs 1993; Scharten 1996, p. 15; Jacobs 2000, dl. 1, p. 415.
Bram Huijser, Nederlandse boekband-, boekomslag- en stofomslag-ontwerpers 1890-1940 (typescript, 2004).