From an early age, Jan Wittenberg (The Hague 1886-1963 Wageningen) knew that he wanted to become an artist. After evening classes, a short period at the Hague Art Academy and guidance from Willem van Konijnenburg and later Floris Arntzenius, he gradually found his own style.

Wittenberg leaves The Hague and subsequently works in Zierikzee and Dordrecht, where he meets his future wife, with whom he settles in Rhoon near Rotterdam. From 1920 to 1927 he taught at the academy of visual arts in the city. He then devotes himself fully to being an artist.

He made finely painted, subdued still lifes, cobblestones and animals, and an occasional landscape. His compositions consist of simple objects, often seen from above. The work has been painted with great attention.

Characteristic are a centered composition, a division in the background and often a white object on a (dirty) white or blue-black background. The work has a subtle depth and light effect due to small color differences. What appears white is not white everywhere, but sometimes also a bit gray, blue or light yellow.

By stylizing the depicted objects, Wittenberg gave his paintings and graphics a tranquil businesslike tone. He also painted landscapes, animals and young children. Wittenberg is often compared to that of his contemporaries Jan Mankes, Floris Verster, Dick Ket and Raoul Hynckes. He is considered one of the Beerderians, artists with whom art educator H.P. Bnemer had a lot of contact and with correspondingly refined works in small formats of vulnerable subjects such as children, still lifes and animals. He was (also) influenced by Japanese art that came to the West from the mid-19th century. In Wittenberg's work, especially in his graphics and woodcuts, you see the same kind of stylization as in many Japanese prints. But this simplification of forms can also be recognized in his paintings. His painted oeuvre is very rare with a size of approximately 300 paintings. He participated in about 25 exhibitions and there was a lot of interest in his work then (and now). His works can be found in Museum More, among others.