Graphic artist Dick Bruna has loaned a selection of his work to the Amsterdam Rijksmuseum. The works include paperback book covers, commercial posters and children's books, including some Miffy stories, covering his career between 1953 and 2007.

The Dutch illustrator is mainly known as the spiritual father of Miffy, the drawn rabbit with an ‘x’ for a mouth. The museum has selected about 120 of Bruna's designs and publications for an exhibition which opened on Tuesday. Visitors can follow the whole design process of the book Miffy’s Letter (De brief van Nijntje) through sketches, finished drawings and drawings that Bruna eventually did not use.

The works will be on display in the Amsterdam museum until 29 August 2011, and will remain in the museum as a long-term loan.

Hobby
Mr Bruna told public broadcaster NOS that he is proud to see his work in the Rijksmuseum. "There are things in life which you never believed would come true. I'm very happy about it."

The Miffy character was created in the 1960s, and the picture books have been published in some 50 languages all over the world. Besides the Miffy books, Dick Bruna also designed the covers for a series of detective novels featuring authors such as Havank, Simenon and Charteris, as well as publicity posters and advertising campaigns with themes like Buttermilk, because it’s so refreshing.

Annemies Broekgaarden from the Rijksmuseum said that young and old are equally affected by the powerful images created by Dick Bruna; from Europe to Japan, and China to the United States.

Mr Bruna, who is 83, says his job, drawing, is still his hobby. "Every day I make something, simply because I can't stop doing it," he says.

(gsh/rk/imm)