Silvery Light and Cloudy Skies

Did you know that Impressionism also existed in the Netherlands? Can you imagine that this country was home to 9,000 windmills in the 19th century? And can you explain why the light there is rather silvery? The expert video on the exhibition “Clouds and Light. Impressionism in Holland” at the Museum Barberini provides answers to these and many other fascinating questions.

Art experts from the most renowned Dutch museums will take you on a journey through the development of art in the Netherlands from 1850 to 1910. You will learn about the influence French art and literature had on the Dutch painters, why they nonetheless painted quite differently from their fellow artists in France, what role the country’s special geographical location played in the depiction of sky and light, and what places provided inspiration for these artists of light. Through numerous paintings, the experts illustrate how the painting style, colour palette and choice of motifs developed in the short span of 60 years in the Netherlands. The fifteen-minute video offers a zestful intro to the exhibition and is equally suitable as a follow-up to the museum visit.

The interviews were conducted during the Museum Barberini’s 15th symposium on 22 June 2022 in Potsdam. June 2022 in Potsdam, with Frouke van Dijke (Curator, Kunstmuseum Den Haag), Mayken Jonkman (Curator, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam), Renske Suijver (Curator, Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam & The Mesdag Collection, The Hague), Jeroen Kapelle (Curator, RKD – Netherlands Institute for Art History, The Hague), Renske Cohen Tervaert (Curator, Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo), Michael Philipp (Chief Curator, Museum Barberini, Potsdam).

The exhibition “Clouds and Light. Impressionism in Holland” with around 100 paintings by over 40 artists, including Johan Barthold Jongkind, Vincent van Gogh, Jacoba van Heemskerck and Piet Mondrian, can be seen at the Museum Barberini until 22 October.