In 1980, the artist inaugurated a series of sculptures titled “Une Naissance en Bronze”. The numerous sculptures depicting couples and mothers with children are reflective of a period in which his art is suffused with the sense of family contentment, culminating with the birth of his daughter Casmir...
In 1980, the artist inaugurated a series of sculptures titled “Une Naissance en Bronze”. The numerous sculptures depicting couples and mothers with children are reflective of a period in which his art is suffused with the sense of family contentment, culminating with the birth of his daughter Casmira in 1981. This particular piece, Le Premier Pas which stands outside the Maternity Ward of Princess Grace Hospital, is a celebration of maternal love. It shows a protective mother helping her child to take his first steps with one hand, and holding the other hand ready in case he should fall.
Kees Verkade was a Dutch artist, born on 12 October 1941 in Haarlem, in the Netherlands. After secondary school, he enrolled at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in The Hague, where he graduated with first prize. A resident of the Principality from 1979 onwards, he participated in many collective and solo exhibitions. He was commissioned to create numerous sculptures to decorate official buildings in his native country, and also in Europe, the United States and, of course, the Principality of Monaco, which acquired several of his works. Pieces by Verkade can be found in various locations around Monaco: Invitation in the Saint-Martin Gardens, Le Sport outside the Stade Louis-II, the bust of Prince Louis de Polignac (cousin of H.S.H. the Sovereign Prince) on Square Beaumarchais, and Le Premiers Pas outside Princess Grace Hospital. In 1999, a retrospective devoted to Verkade was held in Monaco to celebrate his forty years as an artist. That same year, Prince Rainier III awarded him the insignia of the Order of Cultural Merit and made him an Officer of the Order of the Grimaldi. A complete retrospective of his work, titled Circle of Love, was held in 2012. Kees Verkade passed away on 29 December 2020 in Monaco. His final work, Salutifera Unitas, was commissioned by a Dutch foundation to thank the healthcare staff who worked through the coronavirus pandemic.
