RIP Dick Bruna (1927-2017)

It is one year ago that the world lost a man who dedicated his life to offer the world what only his talent could bring. Who might only be known to so many people, although whole generations of people have now grown up with his drawings: Dick Bruna.

_{Picture of Dick Bruna in his studio, by Dolph Kohnstamm (2007) CC.}

So, rest in continuous peace, Mr. Bruna. Thank you for those drawings that generations of people, including me, have grown up with. And I believe many more will continue to be inspired by them.

nijntje

His most famous creation is nijntje--in English known as Miffy. It started out with a story he wrote and drew for his son, during a holiday in the dunes. Inspired by a little white rabbit that kept visiting them there, it grew out to be a big success. Thirty books about nijntje the white rabbit have been published in total, translated into over fifty languages. Especially Japanese children love Miffy. But what people don’t always know, is that Bruna was a graphic designer by profession, and influenced for instance by Matisse.

Bruna lived and worked in Utrecht, a city in the middle of the Netherlands where I also lived for a while. I loved visiting the nijntje-pleintje, the square named after nijntje (Miffy), and the nijntje museum, always full of kids who enjoyed it just as much (or maybe more) as I did.

Artist Spirit

Bruna developed a very specific style aimed at his audience: the very young. It’s not easy to break down a story to its essence and convey it in such universal terms. How come children all around the world can enjoy his stories?

‘Ik geef ieder kind de ruimte zijn eigen fantasie in te vullen.’
'I give every child space to bring in their own imagination.' (transl. @nobyeni)
~ Dick Bruna (1927-2017)

Part of the succes of nijntje and the other characters Bruna developed, has to do with the format of the books. I like how he always published small child-size books, easy to hold and easy to recognise as well. All rectangular. Also something remarkable: there is no capitalization ever. At least not in the Dutch version, and I haven’t been able to compare all other languages, but I hope they kept this ‘rule’. Because it is genius: it shows compassion and creates a kind of equality. A truth that doesn't need to be marked by capitalizing on anything more than anything else.

But what inspires me as well, is to read about Bruna himself. How he faced trials and difficulties, and how he ended up doing what he did best. Which was also something he loved. He stayed true to that inspiration for many years. Even beyond the point that people told him to stop, that he was too old. But he continued working and drawing and writing well into old age. Inspiring.

^{Photo Credits: Sharon Vander Kaay Flickr via Compfight cc and Sharon Vander Kaay Flickr via Compfight cc}