Johan Georg Gerstenhauer Zimmerman, sometims also written als Johann Georg Gerstenhauer Zimmermann was the son of the painter and draughtsman Jan Wendel Gerstenhauer Zimmermann (1816, Monnikendam-Rotterdam, 1887) and Elisabeth van Kell (1818-1887).
Johan was a pupil of Jan Adam Kruseman (Haarlem, 1804-1862) at the Rijksakademie Amsterdam. He was a painter, draughtsman and lithographer as well. He was active in Amsterdam till 1859, Middelburg between 1862 and 1870, Rotterdam till 1900, The Hague from 1900 till 1903 and afterwards in Utrecht.[1]
The sitter of this exquisitely fine and almost photographic pencil drawing, a young and well to do lady, remains unfortunately unknown.
Comparable drawings by his hand are the portraits of Abigael Mendes (1840-1905) and Jeanne Maria de Bruyn (1850-1913).[2][3](images 2 and 3)
[1] Pieter A. Scheen, Lexicon Nederlandse beeldende kunstenaars 1750-1950. Kunsthandel Pieter A. Scheen N.V., Den Haag, 1959. p. 371 and 372
[2] Johan Georg Gerstenhauer Zimmerman, Portrait of Abigael Mendes (1840-1905). Pencil, heigthened with white, 235 x 175 mm. Kasteel te Renswoude, lost in the fire of 1985.
[3] Johan Georg Gerstenhauer Zimmerman, Portrait of Jeanne Maria de Bruyn (1850-1913). Pencil, sizes unknown. Signed and dated 1913.
