Portrait of Dr W. Drees

Portrait of Dr W. Drees by W.M. Voois ( Ter Heyde aan de Zee ), 1960 Shells 26x29.5 cm


Willem Drees, a Socialist born in Amsterdam on 3 july 1886, was one of the most importmant statesmen of the post war period in the Netherlands.In 1957, while Minister for Social Affairs, he introduced general old age pensions, which were to provide a basic income for every Dutch citizen over sixty five.The expression to draw your Drees, meaning your pension, still survives today.The shell portrait was made as a gift in 1960 by a sixty fiver year old admirer of Drees, W.M. Voois.Drees later presented it to the Rijksmuseum.



From Treasures from the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam