Gerrit van Houten (also known as Gerry Wood), (29 August 1866, Groningen – 18 January 1934, Santpoort) was a Dutch painter and artist. The Van Houten family lived just outside the gates of the city of Groningen on the Damsterdiep canal. Although Gerrit would still recognize number 215, the house where he was born on 29 August 1866, its surroundings would seem most strange. The layout of the house is much the same, with the water pump still in the kitchen, although it no longer works. The stable is now used for storage. A corridor and one of the rooms in the former office would still look familiar to Gerrit, because they are exactly as they were with the door panels that he himself painted. The house belonged to the timber merchants and sawmill run by Gerrit's father Hindrik and Hindrik's brother Jakob. The sawmill ‘De Twee Reizigers’ stood next to the house on the Damsterdiep canal. Behind the house ditches had been dug; the timber was steeped in these to increase its durability. To the west were the city ramparts and the Steentilpoort gate; in all other directions fields as far as the eye could see. Domestic setting Gerrit grew up in an artistic family. His father Hindrik, who as well as running a business was active in politics, serving on the municipal and provincial councils, liked to draw in the little free time that he had. Although Gerrit's mother, Alida Cornelia Christina ten Bruggencate did not draw, she did have a great interest in art. Gerrit's older brother Derk also drew and painted, but stopped when he became too busy in his work at the timber merchants. Gerrit's younger sister Alida became a painter, but she did not have his talent. Then there was his aunt, Sientje van Houten, who was married to the famous painter Hendrik Willem Mesdag and who painted herself. And Gerrit's cousin Barbara, the daughter of Gerrit's uncle Samuel van Houten (the famous minister), was also a painter. It is not known whether Gerrit's younger brothers Samuel and Jan and youngest sister Sientje painted or drew. Gerrit started drawing lessons at Academie Minerva when he was still at primary school. His father helped him every Sunday, with Derk and Alida joining in. Gerrit did well at school, but was often ill. When jaundice kept him at home for three months in the winter of