Curator
Esther Lipke-Deetman
From the museum website
During his day Jan Adam Kruseman was an
extremely successful artist whose 500 portraits and 100 or so genre and
historical pieces appealed to the taste of his wealthy patrons. Among the
prominent portraits that Kruseman painted were those of King Willem I, King
Willem II and his wife Anna Paulovna, and the Russian tsar Alexander I. Numerous
leading figures of the Dutch aristocracy or wealthy upper classes had themselves
immortalised by his hand or bought his genre or historical paintings. Kruseman
was inimitable in conveying wealth and status in his work, reflecting the spirit
of Romanticism. His style was rapidly overshadowed by the emerging Haagse School
and other new movements and his work became consigned to oblivion. With the
renewed international interest in the art of this period the moment has arrived
to focus attention once again on the one of major exponents of the Romantic era
in the Netherlands. For the first time this exhibition will be giving an
impression of the versatility of Jan Adam Kruseman’s oeuvre in forty paintings.
Personal belongings of the artist which were used in the portraits will also be
on display such as precious jewels and magnificent costumes.
Biography
Born in Haarlem, Jan Adam Kruseman left for Amsterdam at the age of
fifteen to have painting lessons from his second cousin Cornelis Kruseman
(1797-1857). He moved to Brussels in 1821 where he studied with François-Joseph
Navez (1787-1869) and the famous Jacques Louis David (1748-1825). After a brief
stay in Paris, Kruseman settled in Amsterdam in 1825, where he was soon
successful. As director of the Koninklijke Academie van Beeldende Kunsten, the
royal academy for the arts in Amsterdam and as co-founder in 1839 of the
well-known artists’ society Arti et Amicitiae he occupied an important position in the cultural life of his period.
Research
Monograph – Kruseman meticulously noted the names of those whose portrait he painted in four notebooks. These were an important source of information in the research done in the past years into his life and work. The research has
resulted in a detailed monograph with an illustrated catalogue of his oeuvre
published by Koninklijke Drukkerij G.J. Thieme to coincide with the opening of
the exhibition. Aspects highlighted in the text include Kruseman and his
relationship with the royal family, his patrons and the nineteenth century
lifestyle that is reflected in his paintings.
Publication
Jan Adam Kruseman 1804-1862
Esther Lipke-Deetman
Monograph and catalogue raisonné, publication gave rise to exhibition Jan Adam Kruseman (1804-1862): de society schilder van de Hollandse Romantiek. held in 2003 in Apeldoorn (Paleis Het Loo)
Nijmegen (G.J. Thieme) 2002
ISBN 90-75980-24-8
Sponsors
Nachenius, Tjeenk & Co Effectenbankiers is sponsoring the exhibition.
The municipality of Apeldoorn has also contributed.