Art History of the Netherlands - 19th century

Host - Jenny Reynaerts, Curator of 18th- and 19th-century Paintings

01/01/2022 - Rijksmuseum

Napoleon was defeated at Waterloo, and the Netherlands became a kingdom. The 19th century was perhaps the beginning of the modern Netherlands.

In this episode you’ll see just how quickly changes took place: from the invention of photography to the construction of the first railway. Artists keen to draw inspiration from the great artworks of the past received grants to travel to Italy, where they painted sun-drenched southern landscapes. This was also the time of great romance and drama in painting.

But artists also responded to industrialisation: the painters of the Hague School recorded landscapes they were sorry to see disappearing, and presented an idyllic image of the flat Dutch countryside they loved.

You then see how the style of painting changed: Vincent van Gogh’s rapid brushstrokes, the explosion of colour in Jan Toorop’s Pointillism.

See the Rijksstudio collection with a selection of the art that will be discussed in this episode.

Self-portrait Self-portrait

Self-portrait Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890), oil on cardboard, 1887

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The Battle of Waterloo The Battle of Waterloo

The Battle of Waterloo Jan Willem Pieneman (1779-1853), oil on canvas, 1824

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The Waterfall at Tivoli The Waterfall at Tivoli

The Waterfall at Tivoli Abraham Teerlink (1776-1857), Rome, 1824, oil on canvas

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Shipwreck off a Rocky Coast Shipwreck off a Rocky Coast

Shipwreck off a Rocky Coast Wijnand Nuijen (1813–1839), oil on canvas, c. 1837

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A Windmill on a Polder Waterway, Known as ‘In the Month of July’ A Windmill on a Polder Waterway, Known as ‘In the Month of July’

A Windmill on a Polder Waterway, Known as ‘In the Month of July’ Paul Joseph Constantin Gabriël (1828–1903), oil on canvas, c. 1889

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Portrait of Marie Jeanette de Lange Portrait of Marie Jeanette de Lange

Portrait of Marie Jeanette de Lange Jan Toorop (1858-1928), oil on canvas, 1900

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In this episode

Middle Ages: what’s in this and the other episodes?

Host - Frits Scholten, Curator of Sculpture

Renaissance: what’s in this episode?

Host - Ilona van Tuinen, Head of the Print Room

First half of the 17th century: what’s in this episode?

Host - Taco Dibbits, General Director

Second half of the 17th century: what’s in this episode?

Host - Femke Diercks, Head of Decorative Arts

18th century: what’s in this episode?

Host - Reinier Baarsen, Curator of Furniture

19th century: what’s in this episode?

Host - Jenny Reynaerts, Curator of 18th- and 19th-century Paintings

20th century: what’s in this episode?

Host - Ludo van Halem, Curator of 20th-Century Art