“The Muse of …” – An Exhibition about Inspiration and Imagination
At the heart of the exhibition is the intriguing phenomenon of the muse: the person who profoundly sparks an artist’s creativity.
Sjaantje
The exhibition was inspired by the novel Sjaantje, de muze van Isaac Israels by Adri van Beelen, which is partly set in Katwijk. The main character is Sjaantje van Ingen from Amsterdam, who was one of Isaac Israels’ muses for a period at the end of the nineteenth century. He created several nude portraits of her: full-length, reclining on a sofa or on a bed.
‘The Most Beautiful Nude Painting in the Netherlands’
Both the main work and other paintings of Sjaantje van Ingen will be on display in the exhibition. The main work is entitled “Reclining Nude”. In 2009, visitors to the Rijksmuseum voted this painting the most beautiful nude painting in Dutch art. It is privately owned, but will travel to Katwijk especially for this exhibition.
From Mythology to Museum Art
The concept of the muse originates from the nine Greek muses, goddesses of art and science. Their name lives on in words such as museum and music. The exhibition connects this classical source of inspiration with modern artistic practice and with historical painters from the artists’ colony of Katwijk.
Artists and Works
In addition to works by Isaac Israels, the exhibition will feature works by Jozef Israëls, Isaac’s father, Hans von Bartels, Elisabeth Eskes-Rietveld, Gijs Donker, Tjerk Bottema, Jan Toorop and Willy Sluiter. The exhibition is further enriched with sculptures by visual artist Liane van Tol (1973), who depicts the female body in a variety of materials. Whereas the paintings often present the muse as a source of inspiration, her sculptures give this muse a tangible, physical presence.
