Pieter d’Hont

Artist Pieter Hermanus d'Hont (1917 -1997) was the unofficial city sculptor of Utrecht and left many sculptures there, including the statue of Anne Frank, where flowers are still laid every day. He became best known for the Thomas Alva Edison statue, which is awarded every year during the Edison (formerly known as the Grand Gala du Disque).

The work in the patio of Cobbenhagen Building is a typical example of his classical, figurative work. This was influenced by his teacher Jan Bronner and his view of "art in service of society." Initially d'Hont made many wall reliefs. Later he gained much fame with his freestanding, spatial sculptures. Whereas he still polished his earlier sculptures, in his later work—such as this one—he made the structure of the clay part of the expressive, poetic power of the sculpture. The sculpture was acquired on the occasion of the completion of Koopmans and Goossens Buildings in 1972.