Rees Diepen (Tilburg 1925 – Tilburg 2012) became known for her photographs of children. Not posed portraits, as was common at the time, but the child in its natural environment. Remarkably, Rees Diepen also photographed the disabled child simply as a child, not focusing on the disability. This was quite innovative at the time. And it still is.

Rees Diepen was the first female photographer in Brabant of national significance. She was far ahead of her time. Diepen studied law in Nijmegen and attended the Dutch School of Photography in The Hague. In 1956, she established herself as a photographer in Tilburg, at a time when this was far from common for women. Her first exhibition took place in Tilburg in 1960. Her work appeared in numerous women’s, parenting, and children’s magazines, including Ouders van Nu. She also contributed to many brochures, books, posters, and calendars. Her photobooks Argeloos begin (1961) and Dit kind… (1964), a confronting and empathetic portrayal of children with severe intellectual disabilities, were widely discussed.

Rees Diepen’s oeuvre is part of the Brabant Collection at Tilburg University.

The selection The Child is presented in honor of Rees Diepen’s 100th birthday on 12 November 2025. It is a preview of the larger exhibition The World of the Child, which will be organized in 2027 by Pennings Foundation in collaboration with the Brabant Collection. That exhibition will place Diepen’s work in context alongside child photography by other photographers.