Loet Vanderveen (1921-2015)

Loet Vanderveen was born in Rotterdam, Holland in 1921.  His home was very close to the zoo, where  in his youth, he spent a great deal of his time. It was during his childhood, that Loet developed his love and deep respect for animals.  At night, listening to the sounds ot the wild animals in the zoo, he would often  fantasize about safaris to Africa.  In 1940, hours before the bombardment of Rotterdam, the Dutch army was ordered to destroy all of the dangerous species in the zoo.  Along with the zoo, the entire city was flattened, and Loet's life would never be the same.

Loet escaped occupied Holland and traveled to England, where he served in the R.A.F. during the war.  Twice, he was decorated for valor by Queen Wilhelmina. Following the war, Loet lived in Zurich, London, and New York, working as a fashion designer.  In New York, he studied ceramics with Fong Chow, curator of Far Eastern Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which eventually led to a new career in ceramic sculpture.

In 1959, Loet left New York and built a mountain-top home and studio sixteen hundred feet above the Pacific Ocean along California's remote Big Sur coastline. Working in the isolated splendor of this environment, Loet mastered the objective observation of animal life. His elegant, stylized bronze animal forms are enhanced by a rich palette of the most subtle patinas; while omitting details, he succeeds brilliantly in portraying the essence of the animal. A frequent world traveler, Loet continuously sought inspiration from the graceful images of nature from the many lands that he visited.

Loet Vanderveen's iconic works have been exhibited in galleries and museums throughout the world, earning him the respect and recognition as one of the world's foremost sculptors of animal life. Loet continued to work in his studio daily until his recent death in May, 2015. Loet Vanderveen's works will continue to be shown and collected at Pavo Real, as the artist ensured that his creations would continue to be cast posthumously.  Although his is physically gone, Loet's spirit and love for the animals that he honored will forever remain in his remarkable work.