Faan Nijhoff aka Stephen Storm (28 August 1916 - 10 December 1986) was born
in Breda as Wouter Stefan Nijhoff, a son to writer
A.H. Nijhoff-Wind and poet Martinus
Nijhoff. He studied photography in Paris (France) with
Man Ray and settled in The Hague (Netherlands)
under the name Stephen Storm. At one time he was the partner of
Albert Mol.
A.H. Nijhoff-Wind (9 June
1897 - 22 May 1971) was a Dutch writer, born as Antoinetta (Netty) Hendrika
Wind, born in The Hague. She was married for 34 years to poet Martinus
Nijhoff, but they only lived together for a couple of years. In 1916 their son
Faan was born. In 1920 she moved to Italy to start a boarding house in
Settignano, with her lover Maria Tesi, and experience she described in "The
Four Deaths".
Storm and his mother lived in France and Italy, and he spoke fluent French and Italian. He was self-taught, could not count on school and writing was difficult for him.
His father Martinus Nijhoff published in 1936/37 his famous poem "Crunch time" inspired by a dream that his son told him during a car trip, hence the poem is dedicated to his son.
In 1929 A.H. Nijhoff-Wind, along with her son, moved to Paris, There she met the British visual artist Marlow Moss, who would become her lover. In Paris she asked the American photographer Man Ray to train Faan as photographer. During this time Faan was the first great love of Albert Mol, with whom he had a relationship for about three years. After World War II Faan had a studio in The Hague, and later in Paris. Faan Nijhoff was the teacher of Paul Huf.
After the liberation Netty Nijhoff was reunited with Marlow Moss and she lived alternately in The Hague with her husband Martinus Nijhoff and in Cornwall, where Moss had a studio. In 1950 Martinus Nijhoff wanted a divorce to marry the actress Georgette Hagedoorn, with whom he had a relationship for years. Despite the free lifestyle of both spouses, lovers and mistresses Netty was quite upset.
After the death of Martin in 1953 Netty settled in Huize Antoinette, in the hamlet of Little Valkenisse at Biggekerke, which she inherited from him after it was restored from the damage it sustained in the Inundation of Walcheren. The house had always been a meeting place for people from the art world. She died on March 21, 1971. She is buried in the cemetery of Biggekerke. On the tomb is an image created by Marlow Moss.
In 1959 Faan Nijhoff settled in Saint-Légier-La Chiésaz in Lausanne. In 1984 he decided to banish everything recalling the name Nijhoff from his life. That's why he wanted to burn all manuscripts of his parents, but fortunately a part could be rescued in part by the intended biographer of his father, Andreas Oosthoek.
Faan Nijhoff died at his residence in Lausanne on December 10, 1986 and was also buried there.
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