Anna Cassel & Hilma af Klint – the 1913 exhibition
This book discusses the very first exhibition of the abstract work of Hilma af Klint and her life-long friend, artistic partner and facilitator, Anna Cassel. They were included in the exhibition accompanying the Conference of the European Confederation of Theosophical Societies in Europe held in Stockholm in 1913. The analysis of the exhibition has led […]
Anna Cassel & Hilma af Klint – Childhood 1907
In December 1907 Hilma af Klint and the group De Fem finished the of a series of ten paintings, called In December 1907 Hilma af Klint and the group De Fem finished the of a series of ten paintings, called De tio största (The Ten Largest). Its iconographical richness defies any simple explanation. Descriptions in […]
The Zeeburg burial books 1714-1811
Until the end of 1714 all deceased Jews of Ashkenazi origin in Amsterdam were buried at the Jewish cemetery Muiderberg. The bodies were transported to Muiderberg by tow boat. As the number of poor Jews in Amsterdam increased, the costs of transportation became too heavy a burden for the poor relief fund. In winter, when […]
Sarah Bernhardt’s ancestry
Many books have been written about the actress Sarah Bernhardt. Each of them describes her life, her lovers, her career and her prominent role within fin-de-siècle theatre. Sarah was the “uncrowned queen of drama”: she not only became a myth, but also created them. Her biography is a mix of fact and fiction, with the […]
Het web der schepping 1880-1920
During the second half of the 19th century, Western Esotericism grew to be a major source of inspiration in European art. This book deals with the emergence of modern theosophy in the avant-garde art of the Netherlands between 1880 and 1920. The book describes the developments in society and changes in religious orientations (freethinking, freemasony, […]
De Boroboedoer van Amsterdam
The Amsterdam City Archive is housed in the ‘De Bazel Building’, named after its architect Karel de Bazel. The building was erected between 1919 and 1926 and commissioned by the Nederlandse Handel-Maatschappij, which dominated commerce within the Dutch colonies in the Netherlands East-Indies. This book discusses the truly unique design of the building, based on […]
Netwerken in de esoterie
Art is not only the product of artistic inspiration, it is also determined by the social context of an artist. The avant-garde was ideologically determined by Western Esotericism, especially spiritualism, modern theosophy and anthroposophy. Genealogical methods uncover networks of artists, which not only run ‘vertically’ in generations, but also in ‘horizontal’ lines between families. This […]
St. Lucas 1885-1908
Over de periode 1885-1908 van de Amsterdamse kunstenaarsvereniging St. Lucas is veel minder bekend dan over de daarop volgende jaren, toen Mondriaan, Sluijters, Gestel en Van Dongen er hun spraakmakend werk toonden. St. Lucas moest zich eerst tussen 1885 en 1908 ontwikkelen van een kleine club leerlingen aan de Rijksakademie tot de meest toonaangevende kunstenaarsvereniging […]
Mondrian’s passions
No artist has changed the face of modern art, design and architecture more fundamentally than the Dutch painter Piet Mondrian. During his career Mondrian slowly but surely evolved from a traditional 19th century realist painter to the prime pioneer of pure abstraction. Post-war art historians and critics have always depicted Mondrian as an odd hermit, […]