Allegory of a Painting, by Pieter Breughel the Younger
Example of a display in a 17th-century art studio
17/10/24
Jan Brueghel the Younger featured in exhibition on early 17th-century artist workshops.
On October 14, the official opening of "Rubens' Atelier" (El Taller de Rubens) took place at the Prado, with the foundation in attendance.
The exhibition explores what the workplaces of European painters looked like in the early modern period, focusing on the most successful and productive painter of the first half of the seventeenth century, Peter Paul Rubens. It showcases twenty paintings, two drawings, and five engravings. These works illustrate the various forms of collaboration between the master and his assistants.
The exhibition also examines the physical conditions in which artists worked. It includes a reconstruction of a workshop from that time, showcasing easels, canvases, paints, brushes, palettes, and other materials (some original to the seventeenth century, others modern reproductions), alongside books, antique busts, and elements that reflect Rubens' interests and collection.
In this context, the loan from the JK Art Foundation makes perfect sense. Jan Brueghel the Younger's painting depicts teams of artists in a studio engaged in various activities, from preparing frames and brushes to the act of painting. This piece serves as a historical document, rich in details and an important source for our understanding today. It offers insights into the appearance of workshops and the practices of artists during that period.
Would you like to visit the exhibition? It will be on display until February 16, 2025. For more information, please click here.
Detail of Jan Brueghel the Younger, Allegory of Painting, first half of the 17th century. Oil on copper.
02/04/24
Painter of Tenderness in the Spotlight in Heerenveen and Arnhem
"Precisely in these times of muddy confusion, of a craving for publicity and affectation, of impotence and mannerism, it gives such rare pleasure to meet a clear mind who, averse to everything happening around him, quietly and calmly goes his own way. To see someone who does not allow himself to be influenced by the currents of the time, but who, like a devout monk, merely extracts beauty from the life that surrounds him. And just as this artist himself viewed the people, the animals, the plants, the inanimate objects around him with a gaze full of love and dedication, there also hung, as it were, an atmosphere of pure piety around his work."
This beautiful quote was written by Reinier de Vries, the visual artist who was among the first to write an essay (1920) on the work of painter Jan Mankes.
Discussing or describing the work of Jan Mankes, much like viewing it, evokes diverse and pronounced opinions. For some, his paintings are a unique representation of everyday subjects such as people, animals, and the natural surroundings of the artist. Through the use of soft colors and a hint of mysticism, his works evoke a sense of tenderness.
Others get the shivers from it. Some find his work austere and sense a religious melancholy.
Either way, his work always stirs emotion.
Would you like to be moved by the mystical work of Jan Mankes yourself? You can be from late January to mid-June 2025. In collaboration with Museum Arnhem, Museum Belvédère is organizing a retrospective exhibition dedicated to the painter of tenderness. More information about this dual exhibition will follow later.
The JK Art Foundation is contributing by loaning the artwork 'White Rabbit, Standing' (1910) shown below.
Pierre-Auguse Renoir, Jeune Femme debout, 1966. Oil on canvas
19/01/24
Renoir joins Kunstmuseum Den Haag next year.
Pierre-Auguste Renoir remains a towering figure in the history of Impressionism. By replacing traditional academic rules with fluid brushstrokes and a luminous, vibrant palette, he fundamentally transformed the trajectory of painting.
His rare early canvas, Jeune Femme Debout (Lise Tréhot, 1866), beautifully illustrates the genesis of his radical style. Seeking to capture the very dawn of this artistic revolution, the Kunstmuseum Den Haag secured the painting as a key loan for its internationally acclaimed exhibition, New Paris: From Monet to Morisot. Gathering masterpieces from prominent private and institutional lenders worldwide, the exhibition was open to the public from February 15 through June 8, 2025.
08/01/24
Sealing a Special International Loan
It marked a truly memorable milestone for the JK Art Foundation when the final formalities were concluded, officially sealing a major international loan agreement. The collaboration brought one of the foundation's treasured masterpieces to the prestigious Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid for the highly anticipated exhibition Rubens' Workshop
On display from October 15, 2024, to February 16, 2025, the exhibition offered the visitors an immersive journey into the historic, bustling workspaces of the Old Masters. It shed light on the collaborative studio environment of the era, focusing specifically on the brilliant working methods of Peter Paul Rubens. Prior to embarking on its journey to Spain, the artwork was proudly showcased closer to home, delighting audiences at Het Noordbrabants Museum.
Jan Brueghel de Jonge, Allegory of painiting, 1625-1630 . Oil on copper