Nola Hatterman (1899–1984)
The Embrace
Monogrammed lower right ‘N.H.’; created shortly before her departure for Suriname in 1953.
Ink, pencil, and correction fluid (Typex) on paper
Image size: 12 x 15 cm
Mounted in a passe-partout
 
Provenance:
Acquired directly from Nola Hatterman by Daan Goulooze (1901–1965), resistance fighter and publisher in Amsterdam; Private collection of his son, H. Goulooze.

Daan Goulooze, former director of the publishing houses Pegasus and De Republiek der Letteren, maintained close ties with various artists and frequently used his Amsterdam-based press as a venue for sales exhibitions. Active in progressive socialist circles, he came into contact with Nola Hatterman through this milieu.

Condition:
In very good condition

Additional Information:
Renowned for her bold and progressive depictions of Surinamese life, Nola Hatterman often used correction fluid (Typex) to refine her drawings—clearly visible in this example. Her graphic work includes illustrations for Freedom Is Clad in Red (De vrijheid gaat in 't rood gekleed) by communist author Theun de Vries, a powerful anti-colonial novel set in Guadeloupe and published by Goulooze in 1945. Hatterman’s illustrations served as the basis for the book’s cover design.

Originally a Dutch actress, painter, and designer, Hatterman became engaged in the 1930s with progressive Surinamese intellectuals in the Netherlands, including Anton de Kom. In 1953, she moved to Suriname to teach a new generation of Surinamese artists. Her work consistently foregrounds the identity of Suriname and its people. Hatterman viewed art as a weapon in the fight against discrimination and colonialism. After her death in 1984, her former students founded the Nola Hatterman Institute, later renamed The Nola Hatterman Art Academy.

Nola Hatterman stands as a vital figure in the shared (post)colonial heritage of Suriname and the Netherlands, forming a crucial link between Surinamese and Dutch art history.

Her works have recently been acquired by institutions such as the Kunstmuseum Den Haag and are now part of the permanent collection at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam.

Further information is available at www.nolahatterman.com and in the publication Nola Hatterman, Geen kunst zonder kunnen (ed. Ellen de Vries, 2021).