Fiep Westendorp . Dutch Illustrator of Jip and Janneke and Pim and Pom.
Fiep Westendorp (1916-2004) was a Dutch illustrator who became especially popular due to her long-term collaboration with writer Annie M.G. Schmidt.
Dutch guys and gals have grown up with her illustrations over three generations. Her most well known characters are Jip and Janneke, two silhouetted kids who got up to all manner of things. It ran as a series of stories featured in the Dutch newspaper Het Parool from 1953 to 1957. Now, the Dutch department store HEMA has a huge selection of her illustrations on mugs, plates, stationery products etc.
I first became aware of her work when I purchased a couple of postcards in Amsterdam a couple of years ago. She has such a beautiful painterly style.
Two other firm favourites have been the tales of two cats Pim and Pom. Below are Fiep’s original creations alongside their modern day realisations.
She has illustrated numerous posters, billboards and books, some of which are featured here.
Since the regular Dutch awards for illustrations always eluded her, she was given a unique award for her entire career in 1997. At the end of 60 years of artistic creation, Fiep Westendorp received the Oeuvre Penseel, the highest possible Dutch award for an illustrator of children’s books. I should think so too lol.
fishinkblog.com 
Can’t believe you hadn’t written about her before! I think growing up with those beautiful illustrations of Fiep Westendorp is what made me fall in love with mid-century / seventies illustration…the kind your blog is full of!
I have this beautiful book about her work, ‘Blikopeners’ it’s not just the children’s books illustration but also the ads and book covers she did before.
What a lovely way to brighten a grey Devon morning. Thank you for introducing me to such a sunny, colourful artist.
I do much prefer her coloured illustrations, but then I also have an aversion to her Jip and Janneke stories, mostly fuelled by the fact the mother didn’t tell the children off for doing incredibly annoying things. On the other hand, I love the messy girl, Floddertje. Fiep Westendorp’s illustrations are fabulous, though.
By the way, the link to the commercial art doesn’t work. 🙁
Thanks for letting me know, they moved it, hopefully working now 👍