Johan (Jean) Theodore Stracké, was the son of sculptor Ignatius Johannes Stracké and Ursula de Ruijter. He was born in Dorsten, Germany in 1817 and moved, with his parents, to the city of Arnhem in the Netherlands in 1842.
Johan became a student of William Geefs in Brussels before spending some time in England, Germany and France. He then settled in Rotterdam in 1848 where he was appointed professor at Rotterdam Academy.
In 1854, Johan married Leontine Virginie Epiphanie Marchal (1823-1891). Her father, François Joseph Ferdinand MARCHAL (1780-1858), was Belgian, descending from Prince Charles of Lorraine. Her mother, Isabelle Euphémie Victoire DIEZ (1796-1864) also Belgian, was born in Antwerp. They produced a daughter Epiphania (who married Petrus Arendzen) and three sons, Carolus, Franciscus and Leo. The latter two were both sculptors.
After 1860, Johan moved back and forth between Holland and Germany before becoming director of Ecole des Beaux-Arts at ‘s-Hertogenbosch (Herzogenbusch) from 1876 to 1891. He died in Cologne, Germany in 1891.
Both the Rijksmuseum and Rotterdam Museum exhibit a number of works by Johan (and other family members). I have added links to these museums (under ‘Useful Links,’ in the bar on the right) which will enable you to search their collections and download high resolution files. I have also uploaded several images of Stracké sculpture to this website (click the “Works” link in the header).
Click the following link for interactive tree and further information on Johan Stracké
Willem Bilderdijk, poet and historian
