Rits Van Kooten (Dutch 1941-2005)

Jacob Ritske Cornelis ('Rits') van Kooten

Born May 8th, 1941, Lochem (Netherlands)

Died February 26th, 2005, Wolfheze (Netherlands)

Educated in both art  and architecture.

1955, Evening school for arts and crafts

1956, Art Academy Den Bosch (Netherlands); Painting

1957, Art Academy Arnhem (Netherlands); Painting

1959, Art Academy Antwerp (Belgium); Architecture

The seventies era were his best years as a painter.

His main area of interest  was portrait painting  and depictions of architectural scenes.

Around 1975 his architectural paintings were exhibited in the well respected Martha Jackson Gallery, New York City.

His paintings of the since vanished World Trade Center's Twin Towers received unanimously positive critiques.

In total, Rits van Kooten produced some 42 Twin Towers paintings,  amongst which several depicted the towers still under construction.

In 1990 Van Kooten collapsed mentally and from then on remained unable  to create new art work. Soon, four treatments in mental hospitals followed. He suffered illness(es) that can be described as agorafobia, psychosis, paranoia and/or schizofrenia.

In 2003 he mentally revived for a short period of time and was able to produce new art works.

February 26th, 2005 he died in the mental institution in which he had stayed since July 14th the year prior.