Jopie Huisman museum

The Jopie Huisman museum in the village of Workum exhibits drawings, painting and items collected by this Frisian self-taught painter. Jopie Huisman (1922-2000) was known for his compassion for people and the place where he lived, Workum.

When 3 of his paintings were stolen from an exhibition in Nuenen in the early 1980s, Huisman decided none of his works would ever be in a museum again. His friends however thought that his paintings were too good for not showing them to the public, and took the initiative to open a permanent display. That became the Jopie Huisman museum in his home town Workum.

Jopie Huisman Museum

As I mentioned a few days ago I visited the Jopie Huisman Museum when I was in Workum. Jopie Huisman (1922-2000) was a proud Frisian and self-taught painter with a lot of compassion for people and a great love for Workum. He liked to share his colourful paintings with others, but he never cared for selling his artwork. In 1985 his friends took the initiative to open a permanent exhibition showing his paintings and drawings.

During the audio-tour in the museum, Jopie tells about his work and his life, and explains how he views his own paintings. The combination of beautiful art and his stories make this exhibition called "Jopie's Paradys" so good and really worth a visit.

The first photo shows rag-and-bone man Euzie, who walked many miles each day to earn his living. He wore his oversized coat like a home and never suffered from the winter-cold. Jopie said that one day of Euzie's life impressed him more than the whole life of Joseph Luns (Dutch Mininster of Foreign Affairs from 1952-1971 and Secretary General of NATO from 1971-1984).
The second photo shows Jopie's close friend Sjoerd, with a face expressing both sorrow and joy.