Only one work of art from Utrecht is equally famous around the world than the Rietveld chair, and that is miffy, the little bunny created by Dick Bruna in 1955. Design icon, children's character, fashion brand - miffy is an international phenomenon; the books are published in more than 40 languages and have sold over 85 million copies worldwide.

Dick Bruna

Dick Bruna (1927) is one of the few living Dutch artists to have achieved worldwide fame among young and old. He started drawing in 1940 and spent his career developing his skills within the picture book genre, creating characters such as miffy. The work of Dick Bruna is distinguished by its simple and direct draughtsmanship. Not only has Bruna created more than 100 picture books, he has also designed more than 2,000 book covers, and over 100 posters, postcards and prints. Aged 78, he still works every day in his studio in Utrecht - where he published his 114th title in 2005. The Dick Bruna collection comprises more than 1,200 works. 

A new museum

The dick bruna opened in 2006 and presents a retrospective exhibition with an overview of Dick Bruna's work. The exhibition looks at his early career, experimenting with different illustrative techniques whilst working in his father's publishing house, through to later work creating picture books in Bruna's own particular style. Original sketches show the development of miffy over the years. Besides pencil and ink drawings of miffy, Bruna's other characters will also be shown - plus book jacket designs, poster commissions for organisations such as Amnesty International, postage stamps, photos and other memorabilia. Documentary films allow insight into his working process and demonstrate Bruna's lifelong pursuit of the art of simplicity. 

Utrecht

The dick bruna huis is located in the Utrecht Museum Quarter, the historical city center of Utrecht. Utrecht is located in the heart of Holland, only a 30 minutes drive or train ride from Amsterdam. In Utrecht you can find a six century-old Dom tower, mediaeval churches, unique wharf cellars along the canals and lots of cafés, restaurants and hotels.