This new book reveals, among other secrets, that Johannes Vermeer initially painted the house in his renowned painting The Little Street (c. 1658–1659) with the door closed. Also discovered is that the woman now seated in the doorway is a mirrored copy of the figure he at first placed at the alley’s entrance to the left of the house.
Jackie Mulder’s work always begins with a self-made photograph or a complex stratification of photos. She then transfers the images onto various surfaces, applying labour-intensive manual techniques. These images are deconstructed and reconstructed through the use of beeswax, embroidery and drawing.
Humour is a great ice-breaker instantly forming a bond, either between individuals or groups of people. It can release tension in any situation and make even the most unpleasant task tolerable . . . although it is directed at the work place, its advice and principles would apply to any environment or situation
To accompany the excellent Anselm Kiefer exhibition Sag mir wo die Blumen sind (the German translation of the 1955 Pete Seeger folk/protest song Where Have All the Flowers Gone?), the Van Gogh and Stedelijk Museums have produced a beautiful 200 page catalogue.
To accompany the splendid NEW PARIS: FROM MONET TO MORISOT exhibition at Kunstmuseum Den Haag the excellent Hannibal Books in Belgium, in association with Kunstmuseum, has produced a wonderful, comprehensive book entitled IMPRESSIONIST PARIS.
Alfred Schaffer has been described as one of the most talented Dutch poets of his generation. He lives in South Africa where he lectures at the University of Stellenbosch. ArtsTalk Magazine’s Souwie Buis caught up with him recently in Rotterdam at the Poetry International Festival.
Despite its relatively small size, The Hague is home to a wide range of museums, galleries and cultural institutions that are located on the odd resident’s front door step. With that being said, the city isn’t beneath hosting an eclectic collection of quaint book-nooks, beckoning bibliophiles to enter on gentle heel, too.
Jacob John Shale has written an essay on AMSTERDAM STORIES by Nescio, the pen name of J.H.F. Groenloh, the highly successful director of the Holland-Bombay Trading Company and a father of four—someone who knew more than enough about respectable maturity.
