Loet Vanderveen’s bronze bears are iconic, as California Governor Arnold Schwarzenggar would give them as gifts to official dignitaries or heads of state. Sculptor Loet Vanderveen brought an incredible sympathy to every animal he crafted. His bronze sculptures captured an animal’s signature pose, revealing the essence of both its form and its mannerisms. Vanderveen was always exhaustive in his research and went on many African safaris for first-hand impressions and visual inspiration.

As a youth in Rotterdam, Holland, Loet visited the area’s Victorian-era zoo daily, planting the seeds for that love of animals. On May 14th, 1940, Rotterdam was bombed and the city was virtually flattened. Loet Vanderveen’s life would never be the same: he was alone. His mother had died in a car accident when he was eight, and shortly after the bombing, his father died of a staph infection when no medicine was available to treat him. With his half-Jewish heritage, it became critical for Loet to leave occupied Holland, and he did so via a bicycle over the Belgian border.

He joined the Dutch army and after the war, Loet lived in Paris and London where he designed sportswear.

He later moved to New York City to learn the challenging art of reduced glazes by studying with a master ceramicist. The cutthroat business lifestyle of the city was not ideal for Loet, and he and his new partner, the painter Alba Hayward, moved to California — where they would purchase 20 acres of land in Big Sur.

Loet Vanderveen built a large ceramic studio with Hayward and spent the next years creating ceramic sculptures of animals with bronze tusks and horns. After rebuilding his home from the 1985 fire, Vanderveen began working fully in bronze for his animal sculptures.

This new medium brought Loet Vanderveen into the international spotlight. His unique combination of patina and polished bronze finishes added a perfect finishing touch to his works. Loet Vanderveen sculptures are now in the permanent exhibits of museums worldwide. Vanderveen’s collectors included political figures, champions of sport, movie stars, wildlife organizations and heads of state—these diverse art collectors are united by an appreciation for the art of a Dutch boy who loved animals, and grew up to be one of the most famous sculptors of our time.