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

"Femmes Fatales" at Gemeentemuseum, The Hague

“Femmes Fatales”, the latest fashion exhibition of the Dutch Gemeentemuseum, opened november 17th in The Hague. Practically the whole Dutch fashion scene came by to witness the first exhibition ever of only female fashion designers. There were approximately a thousand guests in the famous “Tuinzaal” (Garden Gallery, opened by Barack Obama in 2014). Present among others: Dutch shoe designer Jan Janssen and his wife Tonny, fashion designer Fong Leng, fashion journalist Milou van Rossum (wearing a black and white Fong Leng coat), as well as fashion designer Iris van Herpen.

The title “Femmes Fatales” might give you the wrong idea about the subject of this art exhibition. Because it’s not an exhibition about sexy or dangerous (or dangerously sexy) women. Instead, it’s an exhibition “that focuses on strong women in fashion”. Femmes Fatales brings together couture pieces designed exclusively by female designers. By women, for women.

You’ll find dresses by Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel, Elsa Schiapparelli, Madeleine Vionnet, Diane von Furstenberg (her famous wrap dress), Fong Leng (several coats), Miuccia Prada, Sonia Rykiel, Vivienne Westwood, but also more current slash younger couturiers like Maria Grazia Chiuri (Dior), Phoebe Philo, Mary Katranzou, Isabel Marant and -the incredible- Iris van Herpen.

Dutch designer Sheila de Vries (who has designed for many years for Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands) has her own room, complete with a door bell saying “Sheila de Vries Couture by appointment only”! A very nice touch by the exhibiton designer.

It’s not ‘just’ couture designed by women, there’s definitely a feminist theme present in the exhibition; there a big texts on the walls “We should all be feminists”, “Pink not Pussy”, “Ladies First”, “The future is female” and so on. There are pink beanies or “pussy hats” from the Missoni autumn 2017 collection show. And you can pose for a selfie with protest signs like “Girl Power”, “Love is Love”, etc.

Eighty percent of the exhibition is composed by the museum’s own collection, only twenty percent comes from other museums or private owners who generously lent their precious dresses to the Gemeentemuseum.

Curator Madelief Hohé (in the pink dress) and her team did an incredible job! I will definitely go back to enjoy the exhibition on a more quiet moment and take some better pictures, which was practically impossible with so many people walking around. But you’ll forgive me for that.

For more information, please visit:

https://www.gemeentemuseum.nl/en/exhibitions/femmes-fatales

Read more about a previous fashion exhibition at Gemeentemuseum here:
https://tarasdolcevita.blogspot.com/2017/05/i-looove-lbd.html

I Looove... the LBD

The Little Black Dress (LBD) is a classic in a woman's wardrobe... including mine! You can dress it up, dress it down, wear it to the office or a cocktail party... and it always works. In fact I always put one in my suitcase whenever I'm traveling. You never know where you'll end up, right? You might just need it to meet John Legend...!

Shown here some of my favourites, from top to bottom:
Zara (photo 1, 4, 6)
Antik Batik (photo 2,3)
Pitti Vintage (photo 5)
Diane von Furstenberg (photo 7)
Antik Batik (photo 8, 9)

The other Little Black Dresses (at the exhibition) are all by Givenchy. They were part of the exhibition "To Audrey with love", celebrating the friendship and collaboration between Audrey Hepburn and Hubert de Givenchy. It was such an amazing exhibit... simply unforgettable!
For more information please visit:
https://www.gemeentemuseum.nl/en/exhibitions/hubert-de-givenchy-to-audrey-with-love

The photo of John Legend and me was taken by italian photographer Giancarlo Belfiore.