# Pieter van der Hem artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/pieter-van-der-hem/
Profile generated: 2026-05-23T05:09:12.000Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Nationality: Dutch
- Common media: oil painting, watercolor, lithography, etching, pastel, graphic design, drawing

## About Pieter van der Hem

Piet van der Hem (1885–1961) was a Dutch painter, illustrator, editorial cartoonist, and graphic designer whose career bridged fine art and commercial practice. Active through the first half of the twentieth century, he worked across an unusually broad range of media—oil painting, watercolor, pastel, lithography, and etching—alongside commercial illustration and poster design. The RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History documents him as a lithographer, pastelist, watercolorist, etcher, painter, and graphic artist, reflecting his versatility. Van der Hem's work was included in the art competitions at the 1924, 1932, and 1936 Summer Olympics, placing his practice in an international context. His dual career as a fine artist and commercial illustrator means collectors encounter his work across a wide spectrum of auction categories and formats.

## Common works and media

Common works by Pieter van der Hem include oil paintings, watercolors, pastels, lithographic prints, etchings, editorial cartoons, and commercial illustrations or poster designs. Works on paper—particularly watercolors and drawings—represent a significant portion of his documented auction record. Subject matter ranges across figurative compositions, genre scenes, and graphic design assignments. Collectors may also encounter reproduced or printed commercial material that should be distinguished from unique artworks.

## Market and appraisal context

With over 300 documented auction appearances, Van der Hem's work has an established secondary market. His output spans multiple media—paintings, watercolors, pastels, lithographs, etchings, and commercial graphics—so valuation depends heavily on the specific medium, size, date, subject matter, condition, and provenance of each piece. Unique works on paper and oil paintings generally carry more weight than printed editions or unsigned commercial material. Attribution should account for his common use of the shortened name "Piet" versus "Pieter." Comparable auction records for works in the same medium and period remain the most reliable benchmarks.

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine independently researched artist identity data with auction records, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when those records are available. This page draws on authority files from the Getty Union List of Artist Names, VIAF, the RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History, and Wikidata, supplemented by biographical context from Wikipedia.

## Sources

- RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/37323
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/5933001/
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500004570
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2385019
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piet_van_der_Hem
- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n2014047755