Phiny Dick

Afine Kornélie Dik, better known as Phiny Dick (14 September 1912 – 7 August 1990) was a Dutch illustrator and writer of children's books and comics. She was the wife of Marten Toonder from 1935 until her death.

Biography

Afine Dik was born in 1912 in Rotterdam as the only child of Kornelis Dik, a ship's captain, and Afina Hazewinkel.

She completed her studies as an apothecary assistant and worked at a hospital as a nurse-in-training, but when she fell seriously ill with an infected heart muscle, she had to abandon her studies. She also provided illustrations for "De dag na Bethlehem" by her brother-in-law Jan Gerhard Toonder, and started painting portraits and making tapestries.

Marten and Phiny adopted two Indonesian girls in 1956–1957, and in 1962 they moved to Greystones, in Ireland. Phiny Dick devoted her time to painting. She died in Greystones in 1990.