Piet van der Hem - Atalaya's prehistoric rock caves

Piet van der Hem (1885 -1961) Illustration of a mother with child at the prehistoric cavemen caves of Atalaya, Spain Watercolor and pencil on paper Signed lower right
Caption: 'Atalaya with its original cavemen H 4'.
Piet van der Hem (1885-1961) was a Dutch artist who became known for his illustrations and paintings of Paris. He was born in The Hague where he studied at the Royal Academy of Art.
After his studies, Van der Hem started as an illustrator for various magazines and newspapers. This gave him the opportunity to show his work to a wider audience. His illustrations were often inspired by Dutch nature and daily (city) life.
Van der Hem also received assignments for book illustrations. He illustrated several children's books, including Children's Stories from the Bible and The Great Children's Book of Stories . In addition to his illustration assignments, Van der Hem also made many watercolors and oil paintings. He exhibited regularly in the Netherlands, Belgium and Paris.
In the 1950s, Van der Hem was appointed Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau for his contribution to Dutch culture. He died in 1961 in The Hague. Many of his works on paper and paintings can now be found in museums and private collections, including the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam and the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam.