Jits Bakker
Dutch visual artist (1937-2014)
Willem Frederik "Jits" Bakker (1937 – 2014) was a Dutch sculptor, painter, visual artist, watercolorist, draftsman, and silversmith.
Career
Jits Bakker was a prolific artist whose career spanned over five decades. Primarily a sculptor, working with bronze and marble, he was also skilled in painting, glasswork, graphic design, and jewelry making. His work earned him international recognition through commissions from both the Netherlands and other countries.
Bakker's artistic style ranged from expressive and energetic to quiet and introspective. The human form was his central theme, and he drew inspiration from classical mythology, music, dance, and sports.
Honors
Jits Bakker received numerous honors and accolades throughout his career, including:
Ereburger (Honorary Citizen) of Turku, Finland (2008)
Ereburger (Honorary Citizen) of Renkum, Netherlands (2014)
Ereburger (Honorary Citizen) of Loulé, Portugal (2006)
His artwork was also collected by various world leaders and prominent figures, including members of the British and Dutch royal families.
Bakker's achievements extended beyond his sculptures. A film portrait titled "Bronze Alive" about Bakker, directed by Tom Manders Jr., won the De Golden Image Award in New York in 1978. He also received the Movado Museum Prize in 1995.
“Jits Bakker” enters the record as dutch visual artist (1937-2014). Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Jits, Bakker and Dutch can confirm, complicate or overturn.
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Chronology provides the most reliable spine for this subject; interpretation should follow only after identities and dates are secure. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 5, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2358676. VIAF identifies the subject as 22938852. The Library of Congress control number is n88020815. 3 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1937, 2014, 2008 and 2006.
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This entry incorporates text from “Jits Bakker” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.