Rien Poortvliet
1932–1995 · Dutch illustrator and designer, creator of the Gnomes
Rien Poortvliet (Schiedam, 7 August 1932 - Soest, 15 September 1995) was a Dutch illustrator and designer, best known for his drawings of animals and for the Gnomes book series, written with Wil Huygen. His work reached readers far beyond the Netherlands, and his images of the gnomes remain closely tied to children's literature in his country.
Poortvliet did not attend art school, as his parents were wary of an artistic career and preferred a stable profession. He started in advertising and, alongside that work, illustrated books by authors such as Jaap ter Haar, Leonard Roggeveen and Godfried Bomans. In the late 1960s he became an independent illustrator and, drawing on his experience as a hunter, produced books of watercolours and drawings about animal life.
His books were published for years by Van Holkema & Warendorf, which issued the Gnomes series written with Huygen. The series was translated into several languages and inspired two animated series in the 1980s. He died in Soest of bone cancer. He was married to Corrie Bouman, with whom he had two sons.