Sculpture: Jumping Girls, 1964
Material: Bronze
Base: natural stone
Location: Kromboomsveld Park
Sculptor: Nel Klaassen (1906-1989)
There are many statues in the parks and open spaces of Zandvoort. Especially in the sixties, several sculptures were purchased. The initiator for this massive purchase was then municipal secretary WMB Bosman. The art was financed from the budget item “municipal beautification fund”.
Vandalism
One of the statues purchased by the municipality is the bronze statue by Zandvoort artist Nel Klaassen. She designed the work of art to be admired from multiple sides. The municipality chose a good spot and placed the sculpture in the park, corner Kostverlorenstraat/Julianaweg. Due to vandalism, the statue was lifted from its pedestal twice. The damage was such that the artist suggested to the municipality to move the sculpture to the inner garden of the former Cultural Centre. No agreement was reached and Nel Klaassen decided to write a letter to Queen Juliana, with whom she had good connections, to mediate. Eventually, the bronze statue was placed in the stairwell of the Town Hall in 1981. The statue has always been there until 6 October 2008. At the request of an art-loving resident, the bronze statue was replaced in the park, corner Kromboomsveld/AJvd Moolenstraat. The beautiful statue is back for what it was originally designed for. The jumping girls can be admired from all sides again.
Nel Klaassen
Sculptress Nel Klaassen lived from 1952 with her husband Jaap Bouhuijs in the house with the beautiful mosaic wall on the Boulevard Paulus Loot. Klaassen not only specialized in sculptures, she also designed ship interiors for the Holland America Line and Rotterdam Lloyd. In addition, she made ceramics, tapestries and mosaics. At the age of 26, she won the ‘Prix de Rome’ for monumental and decorative sculpture.