▁so ▁he ▁and ▁some ▁sib lings ▁moved ▁to ▁Klein ▁Stad w ijk , ▁a ▁village ▁in ▁Voor sch oten . ▁There , ▁he ▁received ▁his ▁first ▁drawing ▁less ons ▁from ▁his ▁el dest ▁sister . ▁He ▁attended ▁the ▁St ed elijk ▁G ymnasium ▁Le iden ▁and , ▁together ▁with ▁two ▁of ▁his ▁older ▁brothers , ▁passed ▁an ▁exam ▁that ▁enabled ▁them ▁to ▁find ▁work ▁at ▁a ▁financial ▁firm . ▁The o , ▁however , ▁was ▁not ▁satisfied ▁with ▁office ▁life ▁and ▁decided ▁to ▁become ▁an ▁artist . ▁▁ ▁He ▁began ▁by ▁taking ▁drawing ▁classes ▁at ▁the ▁Royal ▁Academy ▁of ▁Art . ▁While ▁there , ▁he ▁drew ▁and ▁painted ▁the ▁stuff ed ▁animals ▁at ▁the ▁R ij ks museum ▁van ▁N atuur lijke ▁Histor ie ▁in ▁Le iden . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁his ▁uncle ▁Ad ria an ▁van ▁O ord t , ▁Director ▁of ▁Br ill ▁Publish ers , ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁get ▁him ▁his ▁first ▁comm issions ▁doing ▁scientific ▁illustr ations . ▁From ▁ 1 8 8 9 ▁to ▁ 1 8 9 0 , ▁he ▁became ▁interested ▁in ▁l ith ography . ▁That ▁same ▁year , ▁he ▁took ▁up ▁temporary ▁residence ▁in ▁a ▁garden ▁house ▁at ▁. ▁The ▁following ▁year , ▁after ▁the ▁success ▁of ▁his ▁first ▁picture ▁book ▁about ▁birds ▁( H oe ▁de ▁v og els ▁aan ▁een ▁kon ing ▁kw amen ), ▁he ▁was ▁married ▁and ▁moved ▁to ▁Lo os du inen . ▁The ▁marriage ▁was , ▁however , ▁short - l ived ▁and ▁child less , ▁ending