Eelke Jelles Eelkema: Life and Art Early Life and Education Eelke Jelles Eelkema was born on July 8, 1788, in Leeuwarden, Netherlands, the son of a merchant. A pivotal moment in his young life occurred at age seven when he contracted an illness that resulted in profound deafness. This disability significantly shaped his educational path, leading him to the first Dutch institution for the deaf and dumb in Groningen (1799). There, he received specialized instruction alongside traditional education. He demonstrated early artistic talent, receiving guidance from Gerardus de San, the academy’s fi…