Painting Princesses I

Women artists at court in the nineteenth century

The exhibition ‘Painting Princesses I’ about nineteenth century women artists who moved in and around court circles will be on view at Paleis Het Loo from 18 February to 28 May 2012. The focus is on paintings by women in the higher ranks of society and a number of princesses and queens from the Dutch royal family.

The nineteenth century saw a considerable increase in the number of well-to-do girls who drew and painted as part of their education. They were often taught by the best local artists and many women had talent. Professional ambitions were frowned upon because it was not done for women of a certain class to earn money from their art. So their work was often confined to painting still-lifes in their salons or painting portraits of members of the family. The works of art were seldom shown outside the family circle. In the early nineteenth century only a few women from the educated classes succeeded in building up a professional practice as painter. As the century progressed, however, more and more professional women became active as artists, in the Netherlands as well, and the better-off women began to show their work to the outside world.

Paleis Het Loo is organising a joint exhibition in two locations entitled ‘Painting Princesses’ together with the RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History and the Mesdag Collection. The exhibitions will be devoting attention for the first time to the work and the significance of the many woman artists in the nineteenth century.

‘Painting Princesses I’ at Paleis Het Loo focuses on women artists connected with the court. On view will be the paint box and miniatures created by Queen Wilhelmine of Prussia queen consort of the Netherlands and diverse portraits that Thérèse Schwartze made of Queen Emma, Queen Wilhelmina and Princess Juliana. In ‘Painting Princesses II’ the Mesdag Collection in The Hague will be presenting work of professional women artists from the nineteenth century between 30 May and 26 August 2012. The paintings, miniatures, aquarelles and drawings mostly come from private collections and have rarely been exhibited before.

To accompany the exhibition a richly illustrated book is being published on the position and development of women artists in the nineteenth century in the Netherlands written by guest curator Hanna Klarenbeek.

More information: www.penseelprinsessen.nl

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