The artist Kees Andrea (1914), who was based in The Hague, passed away in 2006. The house Andrea inhabited from 1940 until his death, which has since been used sporadically by his family, will be sold. The house still has the air of an artist’s residence. It is filled not only with his own works, but also with those of other artists and with objects collected on foreign trips, traded with acquaintances, or purchased to satisfy the simple desire to collect.

Andrea was inspired by many of these objects; he featured them in his drawings and paintings. A number of the artworks and objects that are currently still in Andrea’s residence will be sold in several auctions at the Venduehuis. This includes not only Kees Andrea’s own paintings, drawings, and graphic art, but also works from his personal collection, such as graphic art by Marc Chagall and MC Escher, photographs by Gerard Fieret, and tribal art.

Andrea studied at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague. He worked in a variety of media: paintings, drawings, watercolour paintings, etchings, lithographs, wood cuts, designs for tapestries, mosaic wall art, and stained-glass windows.

Andrea joined the ‘Kunstkring’ (Art Circle) in The Hague as well as the art society Pulchri Studio. He was also a member of the artists’ groups ‘Verve’ and ‘De Realisten’ (The Realists). In 2004, the Gemeentemuseum in The Hague organized an exhibition about his work in honour of his ninetieth birthday.

From 1950 onwards Kees Andrea made several study trips to Spain, where he was inspired by the colours and shapes of the landscape. The area around Madrid (Rio Jarama) also had a strong influence on his later work.