Born in Brabant, Rachel Pellekaan lost both her parents Christoffel Pellikaan (1867-1909) and Isabelle Colas (1875-1909) at the age of four after which she was raised by her grandmother in Saint-Gratien in the North of Paris. When she turned sixteen, the youngster returned to The Netherlands where she enrolled in the French boarding school Regina Coeli in Vught (Brabant). Although Rachel appeared most talented at drawing, her guardian didn't allow her to further develop her artistic skills and she studied Literature at the University of Nijmegen and Amsterdam. During her studies she secretly followed lessons with Prof. Huib Luns (1881-1942) at the Rijksnormaalschool voor Tekenonderwijzers Amsterdam and from her twenties on she fully devoted herself to the art of drawing.[1] When her guardian found out, he was so much displeased, he withdrew and Rachel moved back to Paris to enroll in the Academie Libre Paris where she made a living out of illustrating. Due to health conditions Rachel returned to The Netherlands again where she became an illustrator in Amsterdam. Although she illustrated to make a living, she always kept drawing as this was her vocation. Her meticuously refined and detailed drawings are of a serene tranquility, revealing the intense character and devoutness of the artist.
In 1932 she went to live together with the seven year younger Edgar Fernhout (1912-1974), son of Charley Toorop (1891-1955) who on her turn was the daughter to Jan Toorop (1858-1928) and the couple married in 1934. Rachel illustrated for the Haagsche Post and gave fashion drawing lessons. Again her health deteriorated and Rachel suffered from lung complications and the couple decided to settle in Alassio for 4 years, financially supported by Charley Toorop. The climate turned out beneficial to Rachel's health and she found inspiration to draw again. Shortly after the inset of WWII the couple moved to Bergen where they moved in with Charley Toorop who also gave Rachel lessons in the art of painting.
Shortly prior to the outbreak of WWII, the Fernhout-Pellekaan couple exposed at Kunstzaal Van Lier in Amsterdam from 9 to 28th of March 1940, where Rachel debuted with her drawings. Unfortunately Rachel's health declined again and she went to live at country estate De Pauwhof in Wassenaar. By time she needed surgery, this was paid with Edgar's 1937 painting Vruchten (Fruits). The couple became estranged from each other and Edgar started a relationship with another woman. Finally the couple divorced in 1947. To Rachel it seemingly was difficult to find peace of mind as she lived in numerous places in these days during which she also taught French and later on she translated Eduard du Perron's (1899-1940) Het land van herkomst. At the very end of WWII, Rachel drew portraits on commission. Rachel and Edgar divorced on the 12th of June 1947. Cause of her French history, she sometimes Frenchified her name to Pellekan.
The present Dune Landscape drawing shows great comparison with another signed and 1940 dated (sketchbook ?) drawing by Rachel.[2] Both sheets depict a vast dune landscape in the Winter of '40/41, the first Winter of WWII. The dead trees on the left, who seem to visualise despair together with the gnarled undergrowth in the foreground intensify the serene though harsh atmosphere and might well depict the fragility of life in those days.
[1] D.A. Klomp, In en om de Bergensche School.
A.J.G. Strengholt, Amsterdam, 1943. p.263-266
[2] Rachel Fernhout-Pellekaan, Dune Landscape.
Black chalk. Signed and dated on the lower left with monogram "R.F. 1940".
Whereabouts unknown.
