Rijksakademie alumni John Rädecker’s and Paul Grégoire's contributions to the National Monument on Dam Square, with an important role for artist model Truus Trompert

How often do you cycle or walk past a statue in Amsterdam and realise you hardly know anything about it? This summer we will publish a city map of Amsterdam with all public works that were made by artists associated with the Rijksakademie in the past 150 years. With this map in hand, you can wander through the city and learn more about over 450 statues that decorate the streets, parks and buildings of Amsterdam. The National Monument on Dam Square is one of them. Since today is May 4, the day of national commemoration, we share a bit of background about this monument.

On May 4, 1956, Queen Juliana unveiled the National Monument on Dam Square. The monument was designed by architect J.J. P. Oud, who was considered the pioneer of the Nieuwe Bouwen style. The sculptures were made by Johannes Anton (John) Rädecker (1885 - 1956), the reliefs by Paul Grégoire (1915-1988). Rädecker and Grégoire both studied at the Rijksakademie, from 1906 to 1910 and from 1936 to 1941 respectively. In 1948 they were commissioned for the monument.

Painter, draftsman and sculptor John Rädecker was one of the leading Dutch sculptors of the first half of the twentieth century and a true master of stone quarrying. Fellow sculptor Mari Andriessen once said of Rädecker: "No one can carve out a skin like John." Rädecker's work for the National Monument turned out to be his swan song; he died four months before it was finished. His sons Jan Willem and Han Rädecker completed the sculpture. The two lions in the foreground of the monument were also made by son Jan Willem.

Sculptor and medalist Paul Grégoire was a student of Jan Bronner, founder of the ‘Groep van de figuratieve abstractie’ (also known as ‘De Groep’). Grégoire left the Rijksakademie in 1941 out of solidarity with his Jewish fellow students. He spent the occupation years in Mari Andriessen's studio. He returned in 1956 and succeeded Bronner as professor of sculpture. In that capacity, he remained attached to the Rijksakademie until 1977 and trained a new generation of sculptors in the Bronner tradition.

The 22-meter-high column of the National Monument stands on a square base and is made of white natural stone (travertine from Tuscany). The front of the column has a relief of four chained men depicting the horrors of war. To the left and right of the relief are two statues of men, representing the resistance by the intellectuals (left) and the workers (right). The howling dogs at their feet symbolise ‘sorrow’ and ‘loyalty’.

On the column above the four men is an image of a woman. She carries a wreath (victory), a child on her arm (new life) and is surrounded by pigeons (peace). On the back of the column there is a reference to the liberation: pigeons flying up to the sky. In front of the monument are two statues of lions as guards.

Rädecker modeled the female figure surrounded by pigeons (‘The Virgin on the Dam’) after the regular and popular model of the Rijksakademie Truus Trompert (1915-1977). Her actual name was Anna Sophia Maria Elisabeth (Fie) Borghmans. Later, after a marriage, Fie Trompert. At the end of the 1940s, now a widow by war, she earned her money as a professional model, amongst others for drawing teacher Willem Papenhuijzen, who called all his models Truus, perhaps for privacy reasons. Fie became Truus and for almost forty years she modeled for dozens of upcoming and established painters and sculptors such as Hildo Krop, Rädecker and Charlotte van Pallandt.

Meer lezen?

Grégoire, Paul. ‘Armatuur: Paul Grégoire, beeldhouwen een metier’, De Rijksakademie, Amsterdam, 1980

Egbers, Henk, Guntenaar, Ben, Van Uitert, Evert. ‘Truus Trompert, een leven als model. Herinneringen aan het meest befaamde Nederlandse beroepsmodel in de 20e eeuw’, Van Spijk, Venlo, 1985