Jakob Smits was born on July 9, 1855, in Rotterdam. He was the eldest of four children: Jakob, Bas, Jan, and Dora. His father, Frans, had a successful decorating company.
As a child, Jakob was very creative. He played the piano and sang in the church choir, but he especially enjoyed drawing. Some of his youthful works have been preserved, which show that he had considerable talent. Woman at the Cradle, a painting Jakob created at the age of 15, is part of the collection at the Jakob Smitsmuseum.
##photo-pull_left-621##
Jakob Smits, a decorative painter
Jakob took evening classes in decoration at the Academy of Rotterdam, with the intention of taking over his father’s decoration company. However, Jakob had other plans—he wanted to dedicate his life to 'real art.'
After completing a few decoration projects, a quarrel broke out in the Smits family. Jakob often used expensive materials, which led to the works costing more than the agreed price. This made his father, Smits Sr., desperate.
Feeling creatively restricted, Jakob rebelled and left his father’s company. He moved to Brussels, where he enrolled at the Academy and studied for three years. After a serious bout of pneumonia, Jakob returned to Rotterdam. For a long time afterward, he did little more than party. Having grown up in comfortable circumstances, he enjoyed spending his money.
In 1878 and 1879, Jakob worked in the studio of the furniture manufacturer Eckhart and became engaged to Anna Doetje Kramer, a woman of good social standing. However, at the end of 1879, Jakob left for abroad, where he studied at the Munich Academy and later found inspiration in Rome.
##photo-585##
