By John Dunkelgrün.
Art lovers among you will be acquainted with the famous museums in The Hague. Less well known is a veritable gem in the very center of the city, the Pulchri Studio on the Lange Voorhout, a mid 19th century association of artists and art lovers.
Pulchri offers many interesting exhibitions of current artists (often members) and artists of years and ages past with a connection to The Hague.
It is well worth visiting and keeping up with the activities on www.pulchri.nl.
Until December 3rd you may enjoy an impressive exposition of the The Hague painter and graphic artist Marius Bauer. This year marks the 150th anniversary of his birth and 2017 is nominated the Bauer Year with various expositions throughout The Netherlands.
Bauer was born in The Hague and was encouraged by his parents to develop his artistic talents. At the age of 21 he received a scholarship for a visit to Istanbul, where he became mesmerised by the colours, the smells and the exotic culture.
This fascination was never to leave him. He travelled through Turkey, Palestine, North Africa, Russia, the Dutch East Indies and British India.
On his travels he made many sketches and bought photographs by local and internationally renowned photographers, which -back home in his atelier- he developed into paintings and wonderfully refined etchings. In his etchings he was much influenced by Rembrandt, while his painting style he was in the main stream of the last quarter of the 19th century.
His work is somewhat like what a travel writer might photograph today. He showed the extraordinary, he was fascinated with local ceremonies. His best work came out of his travel through British India.
He died in 1932 leaving a very large oeuvre of works, which aren’t often seen.
Go and visit his exposition in Pulchri. It is well worth it, but hurry, it lasts until December 3rd only.
