Jan Willem (Willy) Sluiter, (Amersfoort, May 24, 1873 - The Hague, May 22, 1949)

Life and work: He was a Dutch painter, draftsman and graphic designer. Sluiter developed into a versatile artist. He lived and worked in various places: in Dordrecht and Rotterdam, but also in beloved painting villages such as Scheveningen, Katwijk and Laren. Sluiter was a member of many art societies, including Pictura in Dordrecht, Arti et Amicitiae in Amsterdam and Pulchri Studio in The Hague. Closer was a pupil at the Rotterdam Academy for Visual Arts from 1891 to 1894 and then took classes at the Hague Academy for Visual Arts.

He developed into a well-known painter, draftsman of political prints, made many posters, carried out advertising commissions and was also a bookbinding designer. The 38 covers for sheet music that he designed between 1920 and 1925 for publishers Scheltens and Giltay are well known; they were cabaret texts by the poet Clinge Doorenbos.

He lived and worked in Zwijndrecht, Dordrecht, Rotterdam until 1894. Then from 1894 to 1897 in Scheveningen and from 1901-1910 in Katwijk. In 1910 he settled in Laren and stayed there until 1916 when he went to The Hague. The subjects of Sluiter's work often came from beach and fishing life, but he was also a sought-after portrait painter in 'higher circles'. He recorded the Volendam model Hille Butter several times. Sluiter also became well known for a number of political prints and posters. In 1999, the Dordrecht Museum in Dordrecht hosted an exhibition about Willy Sluiter's posters on the occasion of his 50th anniversary of his death. An exhibition of his works was on view in the Katwijks Museum from October 1, 2013 to January 11, 2014.