Jesus sculpture, made around 1900
Signed by Hendrik van der Geld (1838-1914)
Hendrik van der Geld (Elshout, 9 november 1838 – ‘s-Hertogenbosch, 8 november 1914) was a sculptor mainly active in the service of neo-Gothic church interiors.
Hendrik was the son of Adriaan van der Geld, who was a farmer and shopkeeper, and Johanna van Leiden. He married Maria Catharina Josephina Marto, who was a manufacturer's daughter, in 1877. They had a son, Adrianus Maria, who died at April 4 1878 he was born in ‘S-Hertogenbosch.
At an early age, he mastered the art of woodcarving, and his talent was discovered by the family doctor. He won prizes at various competitions and was honored in Elshout. He apprenticed at Atelier Goossens in ' S-Hertogenbosch, followed the School of Fine Arts and from 1863-1870 the Academy of Fine Arts to Antwerp. After completing his studies, he went to work on the. St. John's Cathedral in ' S-Hertogenbosch and in 1872 he started his own studio. In 1877 he moved into a large house with studio at the Old Dieze 6 living in ' S-Hertogenbosch. This house showed numerous neo-Gothic forms and the motto: Arbeyd sere leads to eere.
Van der Geld worked mainly for the neo-Gothic churches in the Netherlands. Diocese of ' S-Hertogenbosch and in the adjacent Rhineland. He was knighted in the 1913 New Year Honours. Order of the Netherlands Lion.[1]
After 1914, his son Adriaan continued the work until his death in 1938. In recent years, he has formed a partnership with the Atelier Van Bokhoven and he himself contributed less and less to creative labor. The name of the studio therefore declined.
Criticism of the working methods of ateliers such as Van der Geld's concerned the more or less factory-based production, whereby division of labor played a significant role. Copying in any desired size of plaster models also did not contribute to creativity.Despite all this, the works that emerged from Van der Geld's studio are still appreciated.[2]