Daniel Been (1885-1967) - Villefranche

DANIEL BEEN
1885 -1967

Among the many painters who chose Baarn as their residence also belonged, at the time, the painter Daniel Been, born in Rotterdam in 1885. As a child he always loved drawing, and as he grew older his one wish was to become a painter! His father did not share that sentiment and thought a clerical job would suit him better, because stable work and a regular income are, after all, much better, aren’t they? Daniel doubtlessly thought otherwise, but he complied. He went to work as an apprentice bookkeeper with the firm Weduwe van Nelle in Rotterdam. He did not stay there long, for he was not happy there. After this brief clerical job he became a pupil at the Rotterdam Academy of Visual Arts. Here he acquired the knowledge that he would later put to good use as a painter. He painted like a true Rotterdamer, many pieces of the harbors. He made still lifes, bought the flowers from a florist, and produced paintings of these arrangements in his studio.

He mainly painted oil paintings in large and small formats, but also did watercolors and pastel drawings. What he painted was of a naturalistic style, a style that would remain popular among art-loving audiences.

Collectors called his works "beentjes". In 1921 Daniel Been married Margaretha Bouman. Daniel was 35, Margaretha 36. Unfortunately, the marriage remained childless. They probably lived in Rotterdam until 1932. In that year the couple moved to Overschie. By then Been’s work had attracted attention and his name as a coast painter had become known. Through the coastal trade of the brothers Koch in Rotterdam and ’s Gravehage his paintings were sold successfully year after year. He undertook study trips to Spain and France. France perhaps fascinated him the most. There he painted many landscapes along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. He also painted in Italy. Abroad he did not only landscapes along the coast, but also the old lanes of various tourist spots. In 1941 the family moved to Baarn. Probably because it was safer in Baarn than in Rotterdam. The house was large enough for both of them, and for him it was important to have a back room of the house used as a studio. For his paintings he made sketches outdoors, which he later elaborated in the studio. Sometimes he painted a painting on the spot himself, for example during his vacation on the island of Texel. Although he preferred landscapes, he also painted portraits.

Daniel Been never held an exhibition.
However, many years ago there appeared a series of art cards of his landscapes in France and Spain. Those cards were published by Munck & Co. in Amsterdam. The cards were available in bookshops and art shops.

The work of Daniel Been is characteristic, and he was a master in mixing colors. He also worked with great detail. His sunny character is evident in his work. He sold many canvases to Dutch people in France. The firm Witkamp in Baarn listed the canvases for him and shipped them to the addresses Been provided in the Netherlands. Been handled the financials himself. Periodically he settled accounts with Witkamp. As far as is known, Been did not paint places in Baarn.

Daniel Been died in 1967 in his hometown Baarn.

Source: Municipal Cemetery Baarn.