The Dutch painter, sculptor and graphic artist Herman Bieling is regarded as a trailblazer of modern art. He preferably worked in and around Rotterdam. He was known for using his special "Bieling blue", a vivid, dark blue. In 1917 Bieling founded an artist group called "De Branding" (The Surf). Other members were Laurens van Kuik, Ger Ladage (aka Gerlwer), Bernard Toon Gits, Jan Sirks and Wim Schmacher. The aim of the group was to exhibit and publicize modern art in the Netherlands. The Branding artists maintained connections to groups such as "De Stijl" and the creative people associated with the German art magazine "Der Sturm". In the many exhibitions of modern art organized by Bieling, apart from himself, e.g. Otto Gleichmann, Kurt Schwitters, Constantin Brâncusi and Piet Mondrian are represented. Bieling's work was shown in 1939 as part of the sales exhibition Onze Kunst van Heden (Our Art Today) at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.