Fiep Westendorp's Economical Impact

An exhibition in the Stedelijk Museum of Amsterdam in 1956, was extremely important to Fiep. By then she had established a reputation as an illustrator and was asked to design the poster for the exhibition. In 1970, Fiep Westendorp made an award-winning drawing for a Unicef greeting card.

The figures of Jip and Janneke were first used by HEMA, a large and well known chain of department stores, in 1975. Fiep designed a series of products featuring the two children.

In 1991 Jip and Janneke were ‘rediscovered’ by HEMA, who wanted to put the silhouettes on their products again. They started a ‘bath and skin care line’ consisting of bottles of shampoo and shower foam. Earthenware mugs and plates with Jip and Janneke scenes soon followed.

The success of Jip and Janneke was unparalleled. They became the most popular children in the Netherlands, and they still are. Zaltbommel, the town where Fiep was born, honoured her with a sculpture of Jip and Janneke.

In 1997 the CPNB devised a special prize for Fiep, who had never won an award. This was a prize which was only to be awarded once: the ‘Oeuvre Penseel’.

Gioia Smid, one of Fiep's best friend who took care of Fiep when she got too sick, was asked by Fiep to collect all her oevre and an exposition was held on 13 September 2003 in The Kunsthal in Rotterdam, because of Fiep's study there. On 1 en 2 January 2004, a 50 minute documentary was broadcast on Dutch television about Fiep's life and work.

The drawings of Pim and Pom are apparently still so convincing, powerful and modern, that they will still be used on exercise books, postcards, autograph albums, etc.

One day after her death it was made known a Royal decision had been made for Fiep to received a high decoration, Officier in de orde van Oranje Nassau on 26 January 2004.