Bruna, Dick |
| WRITER, GRAPHICAL ARTIST, GRAPHICAL DESIGNER (THE NETHERLANDS) |
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BORN 23 Aug 1927, Utrecht, Utrecht - DIED 16 Feb 2017, Utrecht, Utrecht BIRTH NAME Bruna, Hendrik Magdalenus GRAVE LOCATION Utrecht, Utrecht: Sint Barbara Begraafplaats, Prinsesselaan 2 (AA-002-004) |
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Dick Bruna was the son of the publisher Abs Bruna (1902-1996). His mother was Johanna Clara Charlotte Erdbrink. His original name was Henk, but he was a bit stout in his youth, and his mother called him Dikkie (Fatty). During the Second World War the family lived in Loosdrecht and his father escaped from being sent to Germany to work. Dick could not go to school and to occupy himself he started drawing and painting the nature around him. Back in Utrecht he dropped out of high school in his final year. He planned to become a publisher and for that purpose he visited London and Paris for internships. After visiting museums he decided to become an artist instead. He entered the National Academy of Fine Arts in Amsterdam, but he dropped out again. He started working as a book cover artist and in 1953 he married Irene de Jongh. They had three children. Between 1952 and 1968 he designed 2,000 book covers for the A.W. Bruna publishing house, many of them for the famous Zwarte Beertjes (Black Bears) series. In 1953 he published his first children's book "The Apple" that included the character Nijntje (Miffy). In 1955 the first Miffy book was published. Thirty-two books of Miffy were published in more than fifty languages. Miffy was internationally merchandised and Bruna became a millionaire. He continued to live in the same terraced house in Utrecht and he worked in his studio in an attic in the center of Utrecht until his retirement 2011. Bruna died in Utrecht in 2017. |
| Images |
 The grave of Dick Bruna at the Sint Barbara Begraafplaats, Utrecht. Picture by Androom (12 Aug 2021) |
Sources • nijntje |
