Eelke Jelles Eelkema

Who was Eelke Jelles Eelkema?

Eelke Jelles Eelkema, a painter of landscapes, flowers, and fruit, was born at Leeuwarden. On account of his deafness, which was brought on by an illness at the age of seven, he was educated in the institution for the deaf and dumb at Groningen, where he was instructed in the art of painting by G. De San. In 1804, he obtained the first prize of the Academy, and his works were highly praised. He visited Paris and London, travelled in France and Switzerland, and afterwards painted at Haarlem and Amsterdam. He afterwards lost his sight, and died at Leeuwarden in 1839.