In history books about the 19 e century, professional artists play only a minor role. For a long time it was thought that in those days only rich women painted a bit 'for fun'. Hanna Klarenbeek proves the opposite with her PhD research.
In Klarenbeek's book 'Brush princesses and bread painters' we can read all about the development of the female artist in the 19 e century. According to Klarenbeek, art from that time has received more and more attention in recent years. Not only art historians and museums become interested, but also ordinary art lovers.
“A lot happened in the 19 e century that has already been uncovered by scientific research. Art education shifted from the studio to the academy, professional art criticism rose and numerous museums opened their doors. I discovered that in this century, in addition to almost 6,200 artists, approximately 1,100 female artists also worked in the Netherlands. Most are forgotten after their death. My research sheds new light on these women.”
Underexposed topic
In the course of the 19 e century, female artists in the Netherlands began to exhibit and sell their work more often. They became members of artists' associations and from 1851 the gates of the academies slowly opened to them.
But because female artists had stayed within the beaten track of art, their work was not regarded as innovative by art historians, says Klarenbeek. “As a result, the painters faded into the background. The image has arisen that this period had a large number of female artists who painted still lifes as a hobby. The few professional female artists who have not been forgotten after their deaths, according to art historians, showed that the art world was unfavorable to female artists. With this research I try to adjust this image.”
During her research, Klarenbeek got to know the lives and works of hundreds of female artists, but she doesn't have a favourite. “It may sound like a cliché, but with many there is something that appeals to me. Of course, female artists stand out:Wally Moes because she wrote very nice letters, Elisabeth Johanna Stapert-Koning who only had one arm and made beautiful flower still lifes with it, Thérèse Schwartze and Henriette Ronner-Knip because they approached their professional practice very professionally, Maria Vos, because she had a beautiful painting style and I could go on and on.”
Difference between man and woman
The research focused on the educational opportunities, professional practice and reception of female artists in the 19 e century. Differences emerged in all these areas. “Men and women had different roles in society and this is also reflected in the art world. For example, for a long time women had no access to the various art academies in our country, they were given separate memberships in artists' societies and they were treated in an isolated manner by the art critics for a long time.” Female artists and artists were also active in separate spheres, although there was an overlap between them.
She finds the similarities that Klarenbeek has found striking. “It turns out that from the beginning of the 19 e . the Dutch art world century open to women. While it was run by men.”
Even without access to the academies, women were given various opportunities to take classes in the visual arts. After the opening of the Amsterdam Rijksakademie (1870) and the Hague Academy of Art (1872) for women, they followed after drawing from a live nude model same curriculum as the men. They also often had lessons at the same time as the men.
“In the Netherlands, throughout the century, women had access to the same exhibition opportunities at home and abroad as their male colleagues. They were also able to become members of the most important artists' societies in our country quite early, Arti &Amicitiae in Amsterdam and Pulchri Studio in The Hague. Compared to their foreign female colleagues, the women here could more easily develop and profile themselves as professional artists.”
Go outside unaccompanied
Female artists specialized in genres other than artists. The most chosen subject was the still life. The still life was found very suitable for women because then they did not have to leave the house. They also painted many portraits and subjects from everyday life, because there had been a great demand for this for centuries.
The landscape – a very popular subject for artists – did not occupy a large place with female artists. Until the middle of the 19 e century, women could not come and go as they pleased without guidance. This made drawing in the open air difficult.
After 1850, more female artists opted for landscapes and it became more and more common for them to paint outside. According to Klarenbeek, this can be explained.
“On the one hand, women gained more freedom of movement over the course of the century, and on the other, landscape painting had become very popular among artists. But history painters did not know the Netherlands in the 19 e century. The genre had no great tradition here and few painters specialized in it. And because these kinds of paintings often called for large formats and in-depth anatomical knowledge of the artist, it was not considered suitable for women.”