Willem Hendrik Bik - beautiful drypoint etching "Aurora" made in 1916, signed in pencil - Sold

• Willem Hendrik Bik (Pontianak, 27 August 1880 - The Hague, 21 November 1918) was a Dutch artist, drawing teacher and co-founder of the drawing institute Bik & Vaandrager.

Bik is the son of Johannes Hendricus Bik (1849-1907) and Maria Helena Veenhuyzen (1854-1915) and is related to the artist brothers Adrianes Johannes and Jannus Theodorus Bik. In 1911 he married Maria Catharina van Aken (1884-1961). The following year the couple had a daughter, Marianne (1912-1992). In 1906, Bik, his sister Maria Helena Bik (1882-1967) and his brother-in-law Jan Vaandrager (1882-1956) founded the drawing institute Bik & Vaandrager at Galileistraat 2A in The Hague. At the institute, MO and LO certificates in drawing could be obtained, and painting and arts and crafts were also taught. At the same time, Bik was an assistant in hand drawing and decorative art at the Delft University of Technology. Bik was a trained draftsman and etcher, his work is detailed and realistic. Common subjects were portraits, animal scenes and landscapes. Bik taught several artists who later became famous: Sara Bisschop, Willem Schrofer, Carl van Niekerk, Anton and Henri Pieck, Marinus Schipper, Jan Giesen and Johan D. Scherft. On November 21, 1918, Bik died of the Spanish flu. He was buried at the cemetery Oud Eik en Duinen. The drawing institute continued to exist until 1922.