Willem Witsen - Museum Jan Cunen in Oss
Willem Witsen: Hidden Power
Unassuming and insecure. But also: friend for life, multitalented and pivotal figure in a network of artists and writers. Whereas contemporaries such as George Hendrik Breitner and Isaac Israels focused on the liveliness of the city, Willem Witsen sought out stillness. His best paintings, drawings and etchings exude atmosphere and intimacy. A century after his death, his subdued oeuvre has fallen into oblivion. High time for this hidden power to step out of the shadows.
Willem Witsen: Hidden Power presents Willem Witsen as a versatile artist. He painted, photographed, made etchings and wrote – disciplines that are closely connected to each other within his oeuvre. His paintings are realistic, with a remarkably smooth touch; his etchings are sharp and refined. Compared to the work of his friends Israels and Breitner, his differs in that it features unusual points of view and, above all, a moody, sometimes even mysterious atmosphere.
At least as important in this exhibition is the introduction to Witsen as a person. How did he become a key figure in the 19th-century network of artists and writers known as ‘De Tachtigers’ (‘The Eightiers’) For writer Willem Kloos, Witsen was a tower of strength. His friendship with artist George Hendrik Breitner even culminated with a shared grave. And what was the (so often neglected) role of the women in the group, such as Anna Witsen and Lucie Broedelet?
The combination of art, photos and letters presented here gives a splendid picture of his career and a unique insight into his personal life. For this occasion, works of art from Museum Jan Cunen’s permanent collection have not only been supplemented with top pieces from the Rijksmuseum and the Kröller-Müller Museum, but also from the Literatuurmuseum (Museum of Literature) and the Koninklijke Bibliotheek (National Library of the Netherlands).
Witsen in Oss
Why now, and why in Museum Jan Cunen? Ever since the 1950s, we have made an active effort to collect 19th-century art here in Oss. This led to a particularly rich subcollection, which put the museum on the map and also plays a role in the new, highly acclaimed presentation of highlights from the collection as a whole, Villa Curiossa. After various retrospectives, such as Jan Hendrik Weissenbruch (1999) and Willem Roelofs (2007) and the group exhibition Haagse School x Haagse Nieuwe (2020), it is high time for a new exhibition on an important 19th-century artist. And what better place to do so than in the museum’s villa from 1888, the perfect setting for this late-19th-century story of an artist’s life?
Nico Dijkshoorn
During the exhibition, Willem will also have a contemporary friend. Author, musician and columnist Nico Dijkshoorn wrote a dozen letters to the artist, based on his paintings, etchings, friendships and the original correspondence. Did he manage to build up a friendship across time? Listen to a recording of the letters in an audio tour and find out.
Willem Witsen - Museum Jan Cunen in Oss
Willem Witsen: Hidden Power
Unassuming and insecure. But also: friend for life, multitalented and pivotal figure in a network of artists and writers. Whereas contemporaries such as George Hendrik Breitner and Isaac Israels focused on the liveliness of the city, Willem Witsen sought out stillness. His best paintings, drawings and etchings exude atmosphere and intimacy. A century after his death, his subdued oeuvre has fallen into oblivion. High time for this hidden power to step out of the shadows.
Willem Witsen: Hidden Power presents Willem Witsen as a versatile artist. He painted, photographed, made etchings and wrote – disciplines that are closely connected to each other within his oeuvre. His paintings are realistic, with a remarkably smooth touch; his etchings are sharp and refined. Compared to the work of his friends Israels and Breitner, his differs in that it features unusual points of view and, above all, a moody, sometimes even mysterious atmosphere.
At least as important in this exhibition is the introduction to Witsen as a person. How did he become a key figure in the 19th-century network of artists and writers known as ‘De Tachtigers’ (‘The Eightiers’) For writer Willem Kloos, Witsen was a tower of strength. His friendship with artist George Hendrik Breitner even culminated with a shared grave. And what was the (so often neglected) role of the women in the group, such as Anna Witsen and Lucie Broedelet?
The combination of art, photos and letters presented here gives a splendid picture of his career and a unique insight into his personal life. For this occasion, works of art from Museum Jan Cunen’s permanent collection have not only been supplemented with top pieces from the Rijksmuseum and the Kröller-Müller Museum, but also from the Literatuurmuseum (Museum of Literature) and the Koninklijke Bibliotheek (National Library of the Netherlands).
Witsen in Oss
Why now, and why in Museum Jan Cunen? Ever since the 1950s, we have made an active effort to collect 19th-century art here in Oss. This led to a particularly rich subcollection, which put the museum on the map and also plays a role in the new, highly acclaimed presentation of highlights from the collection as a whole, Villa Curiossa. After various retrospectives, such as Jan Hendrik Weissenbruch (1999) and Willem Roelofs (2007) and the group exhibition Haagse School x Haagse Nieuwe (2020), it is high time for a new exhibition on an important 19th-century artist. And what better place to do so than in the museum’s villa from 1888, the perfect setting for this late-19th-century story of an artist’s life?
Nico Dijkshoorn
During the exhibition, Willem will also have a contemporary friend. Author, musician and columnist Nico Dijkshoorn wrote a dozen letters to the artist, based on his paintings, etchings, friendships and the original correspondence. Did he manage to build up a friendship across time? Listen to a recording of the letters in an audio tour and find out.