Otto B de Kat (1907-1995)
Interior, Autumn Day
Chalk drawing
Image size: 24 x 17.5 cm
Frame: 46 x 37 cm
Dated at the bottom left, 24 nov. '77
Included in the RKD Study by Otto B de Kat
 
In excellent condition
 
Made in the late summer of 1977, when De Kat had to draw left-handed for a short while, because his right hand had become paralyzed by a cerebral haemorrhage during his stay in France. Something he had never done before. Only a few drawings are known that were made with his non-dominant hand. These drawings are made with precision and attention. To thank his friends and attending doctor, who gave the tip to draw in and around his house, he published a book in a very limited edition: Otto B. de Kat - Tekeningen nazomer van 1977, and gave it as a gift. Reproductions of 8 drawings made with his left hand are depicted herein.
 
Otto de Kat was a Dutch painter and art teacher who played an important role in the Dutch art world in the twentieth century. He was born in 1907 in Dordrecht and started his artistic career at a young age as a draftsman. He studied at the Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten in Amsterdam, where he learned from Pieter Dupont, Jan Sluijters and Henri Frédéric Boot, among others.
 
After graduating in 1930, De Kat began to profile himself as a professional artist. He was engaged in painting, drawing and making graphics. His work was often realistic and inspired by everyday life, with a sense of color and composition. He was best known for his landscapes, cityscapes and portraits.
 
De Kat was a member of the Dutch artists' association Sint Lucas and was also active as an art teacher. He taught at various art academies in the Netherlands, including the Rijksakademie (where he was a professor) and the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague.
 
He won several awards during his career, including the Gold medal at the Salon de la Jeune Peinture in Paris, and exhibited regularly in the Netherlands and abroad. His work can be found in various museums, including the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam and the Teylers Museum in Haarlem. Otto de Kat died in 1995 in Laren.