in Friesland. Gerrit returned to his uncle and aunt in Almelo for a short time, while the family sought a long-term solution, but his condition only worsened. In October 1892, at the age of 26, he was admitted to Oud Meerenberg in Santpoort, which would later become the Provincial Hospital of North Holland. This marked the definitive end of an artistic career that was nipped in the bud and that had already exhibited marked decline after Gerrit's twentieth. Gerrit van Houten died in Santpoort on 18 January 1934 and was buried at the Zuiderbegraafplaats cemetery in Groningen. The work of Gerrit van Houten Gerrit van Houten left about 900 drawings, 180 watercolours and 85 oil paintings. His brothers and sisters looked after his work once he was no longer able to. Only very few works are owned by private collectors, and one or two have disappeared without trace. Gerrit is known to have destroyed one work. Most of the drawings are sketches and detail, colour and composition studies. For Gerrit drawing was an aid. In his sketchbook, he recorded anything that might serve as the subject of a watercolour or oil painting. Even finished drawings must be seen as studies, although studies or compositions have been found for few of his oil paintings and watercolours. He probably did much of his work en plein air location. His subjects were never far away: the garden and surroundings of the house in Groningen, the landscape of the province of Twente when he was staying in Almelo, portraits and still lifes. Once in Surhuisterveen Gerrit stopped oil painting and sometime later watercolour painting, but he carried on drawing until he was admitted to hospital in Santpoort. The drawings no longer served as studies for oil paintings or watercolours but as an end in themselves. The subjects were more or less the same as before: still lifes of flowers, windmills, the countryside around Surhuisterveen and trees. But they are rough and show that illness had affected his drawing skills. Once admitted to Santpoort, Gerrit was forbidden from drawing or painting. The Gerrit van Houten Foundation The Gerrit van Houten Foundation was established in 1945 on the advice of the family notary. Its aim was to keep Gerrit's work together and to bring it to the attention of the public. Gerrit's brothers and sisters Jan, Samuel, Alida and Sientje formed the first board. They all