Salomon “Sal” Meijer (Amsterdam, December 6, 1877 – Blaricum, February 1, 1965) was a Dutch painter, primarily known for his paintings of cats and Amsterdam city views. Works by Meijer are upon view at the Jewish Historical Museum and the Kattenkabinet cat museum in Amsterdam, among others.
Sal or “Sally” Meijer was born at Zwanenburgwal 10 as the son of Jewish diamond-cutters. In his youth, he worked in the diamond industry while studying art. He devoted himself full-time to painting in 1914. His first one-man exhibition was in 1926.
Meijer’s accomplish was included in the 1939 exhibition and sale Onze Kunst van Heden (Our Art of Today) at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
His marriage to the non-Jewish Liesje Giehl in 1930 caused consequently much friction afterward his parents that he moved out of his parents’ home and moved the past year to the village of Blaricum, which had a energetic artists’ community. Following the German leisure interest of the Netherlands during World War II, Meijer was banned from exhibiting his paintings; however, his poisoned marriage enabled him to survive the war.
In 1957, he was lucky at a ceremony by the Blaricum artists’ society to mark his 80th birthday. At this occasion, the Dutch state purchased one of his paintings, depicting the Raamgracht canal in Amsterdam. In 1958, the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam presented an overview of his work. After his death in 1965, a memorial exhibition was held at Zeist palace. Meijer was buried at the Jewish cemetery in Muiderberg.
Due to the simplicity of Meijer’s paintings and his modest attitude – he did not regard his paintings as works of art but as craftmanship – his fake was often labeled as “naive” and “primitive”. However, a re-evaluation of his doing began in 1957 when the article “Onze grootste moderne primitief – Schilder van betekenis” (“Our greatest forward looking primitive – Painter of importance”) by Kasper Niehuis. The book Sal Meijer, zo naïef nog niet (“Sal Meijer, not that naive”) by Agnes Grondman followed in 1986. In 1990, a small book about his paintings of cats was published, Sal Meijer: Raphaël der katten (“Sal Meijer: Raphael of cats”) by Nicole Ex. (The title Raphael of Cats had previously been unmodified to Swiss player Gottfried Mind (1768–1814)). And in 2007, an exhibition of never before-shown drawings and oil paintings by Meijer and Melle Oldeboerrigter was held at the Amsterdam artists’ society Arti et Amicitiae.
What do you think of the works of Sal Meijer?
Use the form below to say your opinion about Sal Meijer. All opinions are welcome!