Johan Miedema (1870-1952) - Herfst in sterrenbos

Johan Miedema (1870-1952), painter

A half-brother of the sculptor Simon Miedema was Johan Miedema. He was born on April 21, 1870, in Jonker Fransstraat in Rotterdam. He became a painter, following in the footsteps of his father Rein Miedema (1835-1912), but had a completely different style. He belonged to the symbolist painters who emphasized imagination, fantasy, and intuition. 'Symbolism is characterized by a strong affinity for the past and a focus on the subconscious, the unusual, and the inexplicable. The symbol was central to this.'
But there was something else special going on: the material he painted on. He repeatedly experimented with less perishable materials for his paintings than linen. After testing materials including asbestos board, he ultimately began to cast panels of a few millimeters thick from a special type of cement, in sizes and shapes he desired. The front was smoothed with a paste he prepared himself, allowing him to apply the paint in an extremely thin and transparent layer.
The work of Johan Miedema was exhibited in August 1978 at the Fries Museum in Leeuwarden. Johan Miedema passed away on June 29, 1952, in his hometown of Doorn at the age of 82.