What is abstract art? How and where did abstract art begin? How did abstract art begin in the Netherlands? And is there a difference between abstract art before and after the Second World War?
All these points are discussed in this blog about abstract art in the Netherlands.
Jan Stekelenburg was one of the first abstract painters in the Netherlands after the war. But where did abstract art begin? And how did abstract art come about in the Netherlands? Is there a difference between abstract art before and after the war? These are all questions that arise when looking at our new collection by Jan Stekelenburg. These topics are discussed in this blog.
Starting at the beginning, what exactly is abstract art? Abstract art is art that avoids the correspondence between the artwork and reality. Unlike the figurative artist, the abstract artist does not represent reality. Abstract art mainly uses shapes, lines and colors to express emotions and is therefore non-representational art. Abstract art includes different levels of abstractness. In general, there are two levels:
Partially abstract artworks, for example the cubist paintings of Pablo Picasso. In partially abstract artworks, the shapes can still be placed in reality. They do not have to look realistic, but they are easy to link to what it might represent.
Completely abstract artworks, for example the abstract expressionist works of Wassily Kandinsky. In this form of abstract art, the forms are completely incomparable to reality.
How and where did abstract art begin?
Abstract art began around the end of the 19th century in Europe. At that time, most art was representational art, or art in which the created art is easy to compare with reality and therefore easy to understand. This type of art was the only type that could be seen everywhere at the time and a need for something new and creative developed. Artists listened to this need and in 1870 the movement called impressionism emerged, the first form of abstract art. For the first time, art did not represent completely recognizable images. At about the same time as impressionism, the movement of neo-impressionism also began, inspired by impressionism. Then in 1890 the next movement emerged, namely post-impressionism. Post-impressionism provided unique and striking works of art that were even less representative of reality than impressionism and neo-impressionism. Thus, at the end of the 19th century, the art world began to move from representational art to abstract art.
Up until the beginning of abstract art, the main purpose of art was to depict images and objects. Abstract art changed this and for the first time, the purpose was to evoke emotions and feelings. In the 20th century, abstract art became increasingly popular because artists could now immerse themselves more deeply and did not have to create work that depicted objects and figures as everyone else saw them. Different variations of abstract art were developed and were known by different names such as Bauhaus, Cubism, De Stijl and more.
Up until this time, abstract art was mainly practiced in Europe, especially in Paris. In 1940, this changed with abstract expressionism. Abstract expressionism emerged in New York. This form of abstract art went completely against traditional art. The painting process became more important than the result and the interaction of the artist with the materials became more important. Because of this new way of thinking, the popularity of abstract art in the United States in general increased, and true abstract art was born.
How did abstract art start in the Netherlands?
The first form of abstract art that emerged in the Netherlands was neoplasticism, also known as De Stijl. This art form emerged in 1917 through a magazine called De Stijl. An artist group emerged around this magazine. This group of painters, architects and designers strove for universal art, intended for a new person in a new society. This art form therefore strove for a radical reform of art, which should lead to a more harmonious world. One of the most famous Dutch abstract artists who practiced this art form was Piet Mondriaan. Abstract art in the Netherlands began with this form.
Is there a difference between abstract art before and after the war?
After World War II, the focus of art shifted from Europe to the United States, especially New York. This is not surprising, because many European artists had fled to the other side of the ocean. These artists were mainly active in the avant-garde and impressionist movements. This caused movements and changes in how art was viewed. One of the movements that emerged from this was abstract expressionism - for which the Dutch artist Willem de Kooning is known. With this abstract style, it was important to see the work as a way to express inner thoughts and emotions and to interact with the materials.
While this was developing in the United States, it became more popular in Europe to show the experiences and consequences of the war directly. Surrealist work was mainly done, often in a partially abstract form. An example of this is 'Painting, 1946' by Francis Bacon.
After the war, emotions and thoughts were more central to abstract art than before. Many of these emotions and thoughts were also darker, because several artists depicted the consequences of war. In addition, there was also more experimentation with materials.
