Current exhibitions

In the back of Walter’s (through the hallway) you can find a sellection of bookcovers which were designed by visual artist Jaap Jungcurt (1923–2018) and graphic designer Karel Beunis (1933–1983).

In 1957, Dutch publishing house De Bezige Bij launched its now-famous Literaire Pockets series in response to the success other publishers had found with inexpensive, compact, and simply bound paperback editions.

De Bezige Bij was the first publisher in the Netherlands to focus specifically on contemporary literature by a young generation of Dutch writers and poets, alternating with translated literary works.

The Literaire Pocket series stood out not only for its literary content but especially for the visual design. The covers featured striking, abstract compositions that echoed the modern art of the time.

These visual designs covered the entire front cover and had no direct connection to the book’s content—a groundbreaking approach for a paperback series. This bold graphic identity aligned perfectly with the publisher’s goal: to create a modern book series for modern readers.

The covers were designed by visual artist Jaap Jungcurt (1923–2018) and graphic designer Karel Beunis (1933–1983). Over the years, they collaborated on the Literaire Pockets (1957–1966), the Literaire Reuzenpockets (1959–1969), and other series for De Bezige Bij.

Their first series, the Literaire Pockets, set the tone, and with over 100 cover designs, offers an almost complete overview of the styles and techniques explored in their collaboration—ranging from collage and felt-tip drawings to écriture automatique. 

The exposition at Walter’s is a side expo from the main exposition in Museum Bélvedere.