Violette Cornelius rediscovered

Bauhaus

Cornelius was among the first generation of women to make a career in photography. She studied at the Nieuwe Kunstschool in Amsterdam, where, through teachers such as Paul Citroen and Paul Guermonprez, she was introduced to the ideas of the Bauhaus.

The Second World War

During the Second World War, Cornelius played an active role in the artists’ resistance movement. She worked at the Persoonsbewijzencentrale (Identity Card Centre), where, amongst other things, forged identity cards were produced. Her photographs of the resistance work constitute a unique visual record and have been recognised as an important part of our heritage on UNESCO Netherlands’ Memory of the World Register.

Travels

After the war, Cornelius worked on projects including architectural photography, photo essays and photo books. From the 1960s onwards, she travelled to countries including Mali, Iraq, India, Yemen and Peru. There, she photographed the social consequences of rapid urbanisation. By living and working amongst the people for extended periods, she developed an intimate and personal visual language.