Fiep Westendorp

Jip and Janneke, Takkie and Siepie, Pluk of the Petteflet, and Otje—everyone knows them. Through her illustrations for the stories of Annie M.G. Schmidt, Fiep Westendorp (1916–2004) became the Netherlands' most popular illustrator from the 1950s onwards. Her illustrated world is so familiar that we instantly recognize it as "Fiep's." Yet, an evolution lies behind that seemingly effortless style. Her early work reveals a searching, realistic hand—far removed from the drawings we know today. Art critic Hans den Hartog Jager traces Westendorp’s journey as an illustrator, from her initial commissions and work for *Het Parool* to the iconic illustrations cherished by generations. Step by step, a visual language emerges that is as distinctive as it is recognizable—first in black and white, later in full color. A closer look reveals how her world unfolds—and that an animal is hidden in (almost) every drawing.