Seventeenth-century Dutch paintings are among the most cherished and sought-after works of art. Artists like Frans Hals, Rembrandt van Rijn and Johannes Vermeer continue to fascinate new generations of viewers by virtue of their astonishing quality – but they were far from the only artists active in the Dutch Republic: thousands of artists produced millions of paintings, and foreigners who travelled through the country were astonished not only by their quality, but also by their quantity and variety.
This exceptional boom in painting took place as the Dutch Republic came into being. In the seventeenth century, worldwide trade made it one of the richest and most powerful countries; Dutch commerce, science, military strategy and art were among the most acclaimed in the world. It was an anomaly in a Europe ruled by kings and emperors.
In the centuries that followed, the Dutch increasingly represented the seventeenth century as their Golden Age in which they had founded their country, forged their identity and created a specific type of painting. In the nineteenth century, in particular, this century was regarded as the cornerstone of Dutchness. The characteristics of the country and its people were purportedly to be found in the paintings of the seventeenth century; they showed a ‘Dutch view’ that could be found nowhere else in the world. Ever since, painters who were active in the Netherlands had to cope – consciously or unconsciously – with this heritage.
The exhibition ‘Dutch Views’ aims to both construct and deconstruct this narrative, by identifying its fundamental principles, exploring the ways Dutch artists dealt with this omnipresent history, questioning the supposed Dutchness and – most importantly – emphasizing the existence of multiple identities that are inescapably shaped by international developments. Some artists clearly wanted to show their indebtedness. Others, however, tried to find different ways, seeking inspiration in the fantastic or in the art of other countries. Migration was (and is) of paramount importance.
The exhibition is divided into a number of thematic sections to emphasize connections or lines of development over the centuries by means of comparisons. Proposed themes include Gazes, Inside/Outside, Object/Structures and the Spiritual/Fantastic. The exhibition draws on the rich collection of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen and includes works by Frans Hals, Pieter Saenredam, Jacob van Ruisdael, Piet Mondriaan and Kees van Dongen.
In each section there are artworks dating from the seventeenth century to the present made by artists from the Netherlands. In some cases, there are also paintings from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries to illustrate the roots of specific themes, or artworks by international peers to emphasize international contexts. The exhibition ‘Dutch Views’ helps rule out certain hypotheses, advancing the methods of art history through an astonishing overview of Netherlandish painting with its idiosyncratic style, history and legacy. Beyond the artistic qualities of the works on view, it is above all an exhibition about the stubborn idea of national identities and the importance of cross-pollination.
