▁work ▁with ▁an ▁older ▁brother , ▁he ▁set ▁off ▁on ▁his ▁own . ▁ ▁In ▁Le iden , ▁he ▁took ▁model ing ▁classes ▁to ▁make ▁mar zip an ▁figures . ▁He ▁also ▁worked ▁in ▁France ▁and ▁Italy ▁and ▁as ▁a ▁pas try ▁cook . ▁ ▁Arts ▁By ▁ 1 9 0 6 , ▁K rop ▁was ▁in ▁England , ▁employed ▁by ▁a ▁couple ▁as ▁a ▁cook . ▁He ▁discovered ▁his ▁talent ▁as ▁a ▁draft s man ▁and ▁attended ▁summer ▁school ▁in ▁art . ▁Back ▁in ▁the ▁Netherlands , ▁he ▁decided ▁to ▁become ▁an ▁artist ▁and ▁went ▁to ▁Paris , ▁where ▁studied ▁at ▁the ▁Ac adémie ▁Julian . ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 8 , ▁he ▁studied ▁at ▁the ▁R ij ks ak adem ie ▁in ▁Amsterdam . ▁From ▁sculpt or ▁John ▁R ä de cker ▁he ▁learned ▁stone ▁car ving ▁under ▁Bart ▁van ▁H ove . ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 0 , ▁he ▁taught ▁at ▁the ▁H BS ▁( High ▁school ) ▁in ▁H aar lem . ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 1 – 1 9 1 2 , ▁he ▁spent ▁the ▁winter ▁in ▁Berlin , ▁where ▁he ▁studied ▁art ▁under ▁Georg ▁Kol be ▁and ▁then ▁tra ve led ▁from ▁Rome ▁to ▁Paris , ▁where ▁he ▁lived ▁with ▁the ▁painter ▁Jacob ▁B end ien ▁and ▁met ▁the ▁sculpt or ▁O ss ip ▁Z ad k ine . ▁With ▁Z ad k ine ▁he ▁pract ised ▁sculpt ure ▁and ▁direct ▁car ving ▁in ▁a ▁group ▁called ▁' En ▁t aille ▁direct e '.