Felicien Bobeldijk (Koog aan de Zaan 1876-1930 Amsterdam) was a student of the Quellinus School, and was later admitted to the Academy of Fine Arts in Amsterdam. After the Academy, Bobeldijk spent some time in the capital, where he mainly painted in the colorful Jewish quarter. But the countryside attracted him more in those days and he returned to his native region. Yet this environment did not satisfy him and shortly after his marriage he moved to Brabant in 1897, where he focused his attention on the cityscape.

In 1912 he settled permanently in Amsterdam. Early on he was eligible for royal subsidies for several years and in 1900 he received the Willink van Collen Prize. He was friends with Willem Witsen and never denied his bond with Amsterdam impressionism.

He was in great demand as a portrait painter. He is famous for his drawings and impressionist paintings of Amsterdam cityscapes, colorful flower still lifes and some beach scenes with fishermen. He was a member of 'Arti et Amicitiae' and Sint Lucas in Amsterdam and Pulchri Studio' in The Hague.

Bobbeldijk-1932-Portrait L van den Berg-RKD

Ultimately, he focused almost exclusively on the art of portraiture, where he would remain one of the last consistent interpreters of a genre. Bobeldijk is primarily a painter of musicians and many other well-known Amsterdam personalities.

Portrait van Bobeldijk by Willem Witsen-RKD