Joy of life

Take a look up: you’ll see four children playing, surrounded by a young mother. *Joy of Life* by artist Willem Hofhuizen (1915–1986) was originally titled *The Carefree Life*, but was given its current name when it was unveiled in 1957.

In popular parlance, the statue had a number of other nicknames. Due to the absence of a male figure and the Social Services stamp office that was located nearby at the time , the people of Maastricht also referred to the work as ‘The Child Benefit Monument ’ or ‘Meer Boe is Peer?’, meaning ‘Mum, where’s Dad?’.

About the artist
Willem Hofhuizen (1915–1986) was a painter and sculptor. He was born in Amsterdam, where he studied at the Rijksacademie voor Beeldende Kunsten. He undertook study trips to Egypt, Italy, Spain, Portugal and France. From 1946 until his death, he worked in Maastricht. He was interested in the city’s local traditions. For example, he produced book illustrations for the 1955 Maastricht dictionary and Pierre Kemp’s 1960 poetry collection *Les Folies Maestrichtoises *.

What is there to see?‘
’ The bronze statue is one metre high and stands on a two-and-a-half-metre-high column with an Ionic capital and plinth. This stone column formerly formed part of the organ loft in the Basilica of Our Lady, from where the column on Sint Amorsplein also originates. There, the pillar supports a statue of Saint Amor, created in 1951 by Charles Vos. After the Second World War, the columns were stored in a Public Works depot. In the 1950s, they were given their current location in the public space.

Fun fact
At the other end of Grote Looiersstraat, you’ll find another work by Willem Hofhuizen. This sculpture group features the Maastricht-born writer, poet and director

Fons Olterdissen (1865–1923) takes centre stage. Of all his stories, plays and operettas, his comic opera *Trijn de Begijn* is one of the best known. Its final chorus was later designated as the city’s official anthem. In the monument, two boys and a girl look up intently at the writer. The children of Hofhuizen posed as models for this.