Bert Kiewiet – ‘Het Tietenbeest’, bronze fantasy animal, circa 1980

‘Het Tietenbeest’ (‘Tits Beast’) – bronze fantasy creature by Bert Kiewiet (1918–2008)

A quirky and humorous bronze sculpture by the Dutch sculptor Lammert Jan (Bert) Kiewiet: ‘Het Tietenbeest’ (‘Tits Beast’), circa 1980. A fantasy creature with a round, bulbous body, a studded collar and thin, striding legs. As the title gives away, the beast also has breasts. The bronze has a dark, warm patina.

About Bert Kiewiet

Bert Kiewiet was born in Amsterdam in 1918 and grew up in Leeuwarden. After a technical education, he only took up evening classes in drawing and sculpture around the age of forty, working as a professional artist from 1960. He taught in Amsterdam and settled in Mantinge, Drenthe, in the mid-1970s, where he died in 2008. He looked to the great figurative sculptors such as Rodin, Maillol and Marini.

Kiewiet made around 125 sculptures, mostly in bronze. His best-known work depicts people in everyday life and lost crafts in the province of Drenthe, where nearly every village has one of his sculptures, such as ‘The Museum Visitors’ (1985) at the Drents Museum in Assen. In 1997 he made ‘The Emigrants’ for Holland, Michigan (USA). In his small sculptures he chose his subjects more freely and personally – ‘Het Tietenbeest’ shows that playful side of him.

Why we chose this piece

Because it is so wonderfully unusual: a sculptor known for serious, monumental human figures, showing a wink and a good dose of humour. A real conversation piece and a fine piece of Dutch art.

Style and interior

A characterful accent for a cabinet, desk or windowsill, in a classic as well as a modern interior.

Title: Het Tietenbeest (Tits Beast)
Dimensions: width 20 cm, height 13 cm, depth 9 cm
Material: bronze
Designer/Maker: Bert Kiewiet (1918–2008)
Period: circa 1980
Origin: the Netherlands
Condition: good

Price:
€ 745

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