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The difference between 'real' and 'just real' is sometimes very small. Visitors to the Oostduinpark can spot a red deer on the Arendsdorp meadow every day. The animal looks alert, but makes no move to flee into the surrounding bushes; not even when impertinent hikers come very close. No wonder, because although the steadfast red deer looks lifelike, the animal is made of bronze. Sculptor Kees de Kruijff made the statue in 1939 and the bronze sculpture has stood in the Oostduinpark since 1949.

De Kruijff's sculpture is firmly rooted in the figurative tradition. The red deer is characteristic of his working method. The bronze sculpture emphasises the perfectionist attitude of its maker. It is remarkable that the static element (a motionless, watchful animal) is subtly undermined by the subtle position of the legs. Thus the sculptor suggests that the animal is on its guard and can jump away at any moment.

De Kruijff studied at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague. After further training in Brussels and Antwerp, he returned to the city in 1938. De Kruijff did not adhere to the ideas that were put forward by the modernist movements in the post-war years. He remained true to his preference for recognisable images of people and animals throughout his life. In doing so, he wholeheartedly adhered to traditional skills and aesthetic principles.