La Bohème
Dutch artists in Paris 1866 – 1874

In 1865, the painter Jacob Maris (1837-1899) and his friend Frederik Hendrik Kaemmerer (1839-1902) decided to try their luck in the cosmopolitan city of Paris. A short time later, the painter David Adolphe Constant Artz (1837-1890) showed up at their door in the bustling metropolis and in 1869 Matthijs Maris (1839-1917) moved in with the painters.

This history in which painters, musicians, painter’s models, art dealers and art lovers play a role is largely based on letters that were sent from Paris by post, by hot air balloon and in some cases by carrier pigeon to their home country.

Art historian Tiny de Liefde-van Brakel has studied the correspondence of Artz and his friends and provides important context for this exhibition with her story.

In 1873 (150 years ago) Artz and Kaemmerer came to Katwijk, together with the French artist Alphonse Stengelin, who rented a house next to the old white church.

We can mark this as the start of Katwijk as an artists’ colony! The exhibition shows work by all these painters.

https://www.katwijksmuseum.nl/nl/agenda/exposities/la-boheme