"ARTISTS IN THE ZOO: Drawings, paintings, sculptures of animals in ‘Artis’ "
2001-04-07 until 2001-07-08
Teylers Museum
Haarlem, , NL Netherlands

This spring and early summer the Teyler Museum is showing work by artists who were inspired by the beautiful gardens and exotic animals of the Amsterdam Zoo 'Artis’'. All sorts of animals can be admired in drawings, prints, paintings and as sculptures, made by well-known figures from the 19th and 20th- century Dutch art world. Among them are such famous names as Anton Mauve, Willem Maris, Charles Rochussen, August Allebé, Willem Witsen, Thérèse Schwartze, Theo van Hoijtema, Joseph Mendes da Costa, Samuel Jessurun da Mesquita, Martijn Monnickendam, Lambert Zijl, Theresia van der Pant, Erik Andriesse, Henny van Grol and Jaap Ploos van Amstel. The exhibition is organised in collaboration with the Amsterdam Zoo.

Artis was founded in 1838, and ranks after those in London and Dublin as the third oldest zoo in Europe. From the very beginning, the Amsterdam zoological garden was an enormous stimulus for artists. Lured by a hitherto unparalleled variety of exotic animals, they were also encouraged by Artis’ motto: Natura Artis Magistra (Nature is the master of the arts). This resulted in a 'natural' bond between Artis and the visual arts. It is therefore no wonder that the initiative for the foundation of the Amsterdam artist's society Arti et Amicitia was given in Artis. A broad selection of paintings, drawings and sculptures, all created under the inspiration of Artis during more than a century and a half, has been brought together for the first time in the Teyler Museum. Dozens of public and private collections generously contributed their art works to produce this exciting overview.

The exposition accords with the Teyler Museum tradition, which is devoted to showing art works in close harmony with science. It can be viewed as a follow-up of the 1994 exhibit A royal zoo. The menagerie of William V in this museum. A long-term loan to the museum of several impressive drawings and animal sculptures made in Artis by Jaap Kaas (1898-1972), was the immediate cause for this show. A richly illustrated book accompanies the exhibition.

IMAGE:
Jaap Kaas
(1898-1972)
Gorilla Japie (1940),
Black Charcoal

Related Links:

Indepth Arts Resources for Netherlands

Other Important Exhibitions in Netherlands