FLASH | BACK exhibition at the Mauritshuis

After 2 long years of Covid-19 restrictions and being stuck at home, it's such a pleasure to be able to travel again, to dine out, to go shopping and.... to visit museums! In 2022 one the most important art museums of The Netherlands, the Mauritshuis, celebrates its 200th anniversary. With several spectacular exhibitions, the public can join those celebrations. Consider them a birthday gift of the Mauritshuis to you. 

One of the anniversary exhibitions is FLASH | BACK, a collection of masterpieces by sixteen photographers, who were asked to create artworks inspired by the Old Masters. The cream of the crop of Dutch and Flemish photographers accepted the challenge, including Anton Corbijn, Rineke Dijkstra and Erwin Olaf, to name a few.

Coming from very different backgrounds and using different perspectives and techniques, the Modern Masters came up with some incredible ideas. The artworks that resulted from those ideas will blow you away. Whether it's the modern View of Delft (Always try to keep a piece of sky above your life) by Vincent Mentzel (hanging next to the masterpiece by Johannes Vermeer, painted in 1660-1661, with the same subject), or Two African Men (after Rembrandt) by Anton Corbijn, or Carla van de Puttelaar's Lamentation (after Rogier van der Weyden), they are all stunning pieces of art!

I absolutely loved the girl (Julia) portrayed by Rineke Dijkstra, inspired by Gerard ter Borch's Woman writing a Letter (painted in 1655). As Rineke Dijkstra explained, both portraits show a young woman, who is unaware that she is being watched. Both are in the middle of a writing process, "will I send the letter or text message, or not?". They are intimate portraits, The light of the mobile phone creates the same kind of chiaroscuro that is so typical for Renaissance art. Dijkstra didn't want to take the inspiration too literally, therefore she refrained from asking her model (her stepdaughter) to wear certain clothes or jewelry. "You want to stay away from overstyling". 

The clearly visible ribs of the main female figure in Carla van de Puttelaar's creation are a striking resemblance to Christ in Rogier van der Weyden's Lamentation. The white cloth recalls the one used for the lifeless body of Christ. Instead of the mourning figures dressed in brightly colored robes by Van der Weyden, in Van de Puttelaar's version, we see other naked bodies on beautiful colorful fabrics (on loan from Venice). It's incredible how such a modern photograph, can still evoke a famous painting like the Lamentation of Christ (circa 1460-1464).

One of my favourite paintings in the Mauritshuis was the inspiration for photographer Vincent Mentzel: View of Delft by Johannes Vermeer. Mentzel explained that besides the obvious similarities, both artworks were made at times of war in Europe. Both then and now there was a stinking canal, although it seems that Vermeer romanticised his surroundings, where as Mentzel shows them even rougher then they are. He got lucky with the clouds... "they were a gift".
Mentzel changed something else, namely the perspective; he took his photograph of Delft from a higher position.

Besides these examples there are other very emotional and personal artworks, like the 'commemorative plates' by Sara Blokland, drawing attention to the colonial history of the Mauritshuis and The Netherlands; or Morad Bouchakour's tapestry depicting an art photo collage exposing his family roots, including the death of his grandfather in the Dachau concentration camp in 1942.

What makes this a great exhibition, is the fact that the new artworks are shown in the middle of the permanent collection. They blend in perfectly, creating unity. A nice side effect is that it makes it suitable for debutant art lovers and children. What's more fun than to play "spot the difference"?

If you have the opportunity to travel to The Hague and visit the Mauritshuis Museum... now is the time to do it! While the Mauritshuis is usually known for it's 17th century paintings, in 2022 the museum pulls in modern day society and new types of visitors.

Photos taken with a mobile phone.

For more information please visit: Mauritshuis

Want to see more of The Hague? Please continue here: 
The Hague Art and Antique days
Embassy Festival