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JAN BALET
Jan Balet
Jan Balet (20 July 1913, in Bremen - 31 January 2009, Estavayer le Lac, Switzerland), was a German/US-American painter, graphic artist and illustrator. Affected by the style naive art he worked particularly as a graphic artist and as an Illustrator of children's books. Besides this he painted pictures in the style of naive art. Referred to as a “naïve” painter, his works exhibit a dry wit and refreshingly candid, satirical view of life.
Balet was son of German/Dutch parents. 1916 after the divorce of his parents he and his mother moved to Langenargen at lake Constance in Germany to his mother's parents. His grandfather was the senior judicial counselor Eduard Eggert, his uncle was the famous painter and illustrator Benno Eggert. At that time many well-known personalities kept company in the house of his grandfather, f.e. the painters Hans Purrmann, Karl Caspar, Maria Caspar-Filser (cousin of his mother), the writer Martin Andersen Nexø, the Swabian poet Wilhelm Schussen as well as the poet and writer Oskar Wöhrle, Balets godfather. 1920 his grandfather sold the house in Langenargen and they moved to Friedrichshafen at lake Constance.
1938 he was recruited by the German military. Since his ancestor passport was not complete, he was not allowed to visit the Akademie der Bildenden Künste München anymore. 1938 Balet emigrated to the USA, settled in New York and painted rustic furniture for a living. One winter he jobbed as a skiing teacher in Vermont and occasionally he jobbed as an advertising commercial artist. Among other things he painted the cafeteria of the largest of New York’s department stores R.H. Macy. He married the young Irishwoman Bertha Quinn. 1940 his son Peter was born. From time to time Balet made designs for the fashion magazine Mademoiselle and there 1943 he succeeded the art director. An agent got Balet so many contracts as an advertising commercial artist that he gave up his employment and started his own business. He worked on behalf the radio station CBS, for magazines such as Vogue, House and Garden, House Beautiful, The Saturday Evening Post, Glamour, Good Housekeeping, This week and many others. As the war in Europe came to an end 1945 he acquired the U.S. American nationality. His son was 5 when his wife moved to her parents with the boy and Balet and his Mrs. Bertha Quinn got divorced. Balet commuted between his studio in New York and an old, boat house in the dunes of Montauk, Long Island, which he had converted to a studio. He painted and drew. At that time he also made his first children book Amos and the moon, which appeared 1948. When travelling to Europe became possible again after the war, Balet visited his mother and his grandmother in Munich for the first since his emigration and afterwards he spent two months in Paris. His stay in Paris was very much inspiring for his future work.
1949 his grandmother died at the age of 93 years. His grandmother was (by his own account) "the most important and dearest person" in his life. At this time he got together with the American photo model Lisa Tallal, which he persuaded to study medicine. Balet sold his boat house and found his dream house, an old farmhouse in Brookville (New York), likewise on Long Island however more closely to New York. Lisa and he married after a few years. Balet barely did any paintings anymore, because he had to paint commercial art, as the lifestyle of his wife was very exclusive. On his journeys to Europe and Mexico Balet photographed a lot, since there was not sufficient time for drawing. Balet painted his own style, although at that time in America Abstract, Op-art and Popart were in demand. 1963 his mother died and he inherited the house in Munich. 1964 he, as a former pupil of Olaf Gulbransson, was invited of the city of Munich, to make an exhibition in the Pavillon Alter Botanischer Garten Stachus. A part of this exhibition consisted of children's books and illustrations, the other part of commercial graphics. After good critics in the press the pictures were sold completely. This encouraged Balet to keep on painting in his special style.
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