Henriette Willebeek le Mair

Henriette Willebeek LeMair (April 23, 1889 in Rotterdam – March 15, 1966) was a Dutch illustrator of children's books.

[1] The French illustrator Louis-Maurice Boutet de Monvel was an important influence on Le Mair's artistic development.

[2] Le Mair worked in watercolor, a medium that showcased her delicate, detailed drawings with their muted flat color washes.

One contemporary critic wrote, “Since the days of Kate Greenaway I know of no one who has caught so well the spirit of childhood as Miss Willebeek Le Mair.”[2] In her early twenties, she ran a nursery school, and she sometimes used her students as models.

They both converted to the beliefs of Sufism, a religion of universal brotherhood and love, as taught by Murshid Inayat Khan, and spent their lives helping the poor and other charitable causes.