By means of: Editorial
Mon Apr 29, 08:59
General
MIDDELBURG – In the recently published book ‘The Discovery of Holland’, writer Jan Brokken brings an important but unknown chapter of Dutch cultural heritage to life. Around 1900, Volendam was a vibrant, international artists’ colony, which attracted more than 1,800 artists to Volendam and became the symbol for the Netherlands.
In the wake of the artists, famous musicians, writers and actors also followed to this colorful fishing village on the former Zuiderzee. Jan Brokken has devoted a chapter to the Jewish Zuelzer sisters from Berlin, a story that in itself is worth reading this book.
Survival thanks to talent
Gertrud (1873-1968) and Margarete Zuelzer (1877-1943) were very close sisters. Gertrud was trained as a landscape and portrait painter, Margarete was one of the first female PhD students at the University of Heidelberg. A promising career at the famous Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Physical Chemistry lay ahead. The sisters visited Volendam several times, in 1911, 1913 and 1925. Jan Brokken describes how Gertrud expressed in her letters to friends how much she was inspired by Volendam, the surrounding area and the girls in traditional costumes. But there was no tangible evidence of what Gertrud painted in Volendam.
With the arrival of the Nazis in 1934, it became virtually impossible for Jewish artists to practice their profession. The State Chamber of Fine Arts destroyed the lives and work of many Jewish artists and art dealers. The sisters separated. Gertrud tried to escape to Switzerland but was captured. She was imprisoned in Theresienstadt and managed to survive thanks to her drawing talent. In exchange for drawn portraits of her fellow prisoners, she received extra food. Margarete had moved to ‘safe’ Amsterdam. She sent her sister crayons and paper. Margarete was arrested by the Germans in 1942 and died a few months later in camp Westerbork.
Restore to its former glory
But all is not lost! A long-lost work of art by Gertrud Zuelzer has been rediscovered by the Middelburg gallery owner and portrait painter André Romijn. Romijn’s art collection contains various works by artists who painted in Volendam. In addition to Ferdinand Schmutzer, Paul Berthon, Louis Soonius and others, André also has an authentic work signed by G. Zuelzer. The work of art, a moving portrait entitled “Mother and child in Volendam traditional costume”, was until recently neglected and unknown to the general public. Romijn has carried out an initial restoration and will restore it to its former glory.
Jan Broken
After reading ‘The Discovery of Holland’, André contacted Jan Brokken, who immediately expanded the chapter with this discovery in the next edition of this bestseller. The painting was shown to the general public for the first time on April 23 in the Dutch Reformed Church in Rhoon, where Jan Brokken was presented with the honorary medal of the municipality of Albrandswaard (Rhoon) by the mayor. On this special evening, at the place where Jan grew up, Jan read from his new book with a beautiful musical setting by pianist Jeroen van Veen and cellist Joachim Eijlander.
Back in Middelburg
With the rediscovery of this work, Zuelzer receives posthumous recognition and, partly thanks to ‘The Discovery of Holland’, an almost forgotten part of our cultural history is revived. The painting ‘Mother and Child’ can be seen again from May 5 in Kunsthuis André, Segeersstraat 43 in Middelburg. Signed copies of ‘The Discovery of Holland’ by Jan Brokken are also available there.[n]
