Biography

Willem Adolf Verbon (1921 – 2003)

Dutch sculptor.

Willem « Wim » Verbon has made many bronze sculptures for public space, especially in his hometown of Rotterdam and its surroundings. His work consists mainly of figurative sculptures, usually depicting historical figures. Most of it was created in collaboration with his companion and assistant, Kees van der Sluis.

Among Rotterdam’s best known works are the bust of Karel Doorman (1959) in the Karel Doormanstraat, the statue of Bep van Klaveren (1992) on the Boezemsingel and the sculpture of Queen Wilhelmina (1998) on the Kop van Zuid. There is also his statue of Desiderius Erasmus (2001).

In 1997, during his visit to Rotterdam, President Bill Clinton unveiled a relief created by Willem Verbon in memory of General Marshall. The artist also designed for Humanitas in Hillegersberg a sculpture garden with bronze statues of characters from Greek mythology.

After Verbon’s death, the permanent sculpture exhibition “Ville Forte” was inaugurated at the Müllerpier in 2004. The 38 sculptures and reliefs in this exhibition had already been exhibited in 2001, when Rotterdam was the European Capital of Culture. These are sculptures or reliefs of important figures in the history of Rotterdam and artists admired by Verbon, among them Erasmus, the composer Willem Pijper, the painters Henk Chabot and Pablo Picasso and the sculptor Ossip Zadkine. A significant part is devoted to war, with sculptures such as « Warrior », « Aggressor » and « May 1940 ». The statue of Wilhelmina is part of the collection, as are the statues of Winston Churchill and Prince Bernhard.

In Matanzas Bay in Cuba is a statue of Piet Hein made by Willem Verbon.