Petronella Hélène (Nel) Klaassen, later also known as Nel Bouhuys-Klaassen, was a versatile Dutch artist who refused to be confined to a single discipline. She worked as a sculptor, (wall) painter, draftsman, and mosaicist, and was known for her inquisitive mind and urge to experiment.

Her artistic training began with the Arnhem artist Gijs Jacobs van den Hof, who recommended her further studies with Jan Bronner at the Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten in Amsterdam in 1928. There she developed a solid technical foundation and a distinctive style, influenced by both classical traditions and modern movements. In 1932, she completed her studies and that same year won the prestigious Prix de Rome for monumental and ornamental sculpture—an exceptional achievement for a female artist at the time.

Klaassen became a member of artist associations such as St. Lucas and the Dutch Circle of Sculptors. She received commissions early on for monumental works in public spaces and within architectural contexts. Along with other artists, she worked on interior decorations for the Holland-America Line passenger ships SS Nieuw Amsterdam (1937) and Rotterdam (1959), and for the Royal Rotterdam Lloyd's Willem Ruys (1938). Her sculptures were also incorporated into buildings such as the bank buildings of the Nederlandse Handel-Maatschappij (Dutch Trading Company) in Amsterdam and Rotterdam (1950), the Amsterdamse Bank in Rotterdam (1950), and the De Bijenkorf department store in The Hague.

She regularly collaborated with her husband, the painter Jaap Bouhuys (1902-1983). Together, they created, among other works, a series of stained-glass windows donated in 1951 by the Dutch municipalities for the expansion of the NVG building on Paleisstraat in The Hague. The Cubism of Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso—with whom Bouhuys collaborated briefly—left its mark on the work of both, visible in the rhythm of forms and the sometimes geometric fragmentation of volumes.

Although Klaassen explored diverse themes and techniques, one motif became emblematic of her oeuvre: the nymph Daphne. Fascinated by this mythological figure escaping her pursuer, Klaassen created numerous versions of Daphne—expressive, vibrant, and tending towards a figurative form of Cubism. These images simultaneously capture strength and vulnerability, displaying a visual language that is robust yet remains open to poetry.

Nel Klaassen left behind a rich and diverse oeuvre that can be found in museums, private collections, and public spaces throughout the Netherlands. Her work transcends time through the combination of craftsmanship, imagination, and the courage to work outside the box. In doing so, she gave a unique, personal voice to twentieth-century Dutch art.