Frans Hals Museum – Flowers from afar
From March 24 until May 16, 2016 the Frans Hals Museum is traditionally under the spell of flowers. The halls and corridors of the museum decorated with fresh flower bouquets and other floral art in particular (tulips) vases. Haarlem, located in the bulb area, is a flower city par excellence. In addition a small exhibition tells you the story of the tulip mania in the Golden Age and artists who went far away in search of unusual flowers.
Throughout the years floral paintings can be found in the Frans Hals Museum just as tiles, wallpaper and other artifacts. This season they can be seen in real life! The volunteers of the Museum’s Friends and floral artist Paul District Meijer brighten the halls with tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and other spring flowers. They use special vases from the collection by artists such as Bernard Heesen and Jan van der Vaart. Moreover, students from the Rietveld Academy specially for the museum this year some new vases.
Exhibition
Today it is quite normal that we can bring home flowers from around the world. In the Golden Age flowers from abroad were not so easily accessible but still very popular. Several pictures show that painters went far beyond the borders to capture exotic flowers. A small exhibition tells continue the story of the 17th century tulip mania – the incredibly increased demand for tulip bulbs, making the bulb weight was literally worth in gold. The Tulip Book can be admired, with works by the famous painter Judith Leyster.
Activities
On Sunday, April 24th and Sunday May 1st the museum workshops are given by floral artist Paul Meijer (at 1.30 PM in the hall). In addition, on April 30 a Flower Arrangement Workshop by Clover Five is given in the Frans Hals Workshop. For more information check the website
The exhibition Flowers – from afar is part of a collaboration between the Frans Hals Museum, the Keukenhof, the Jopenkerk and Haarlem Marketing. Together they take visitors on a tour through Tulpomania Haarlem and the spring park Keukenhof where the tulip mania comes back to life in the Golden Age.
Flowers – by far is made possible by the Friends of the Frans Hals Museum | De Hallen Haarlem.
Source: Frans Hals Museum
Photo credits: Frans Hals Museum – Gert Jan Van Rooij & Inga Powilleit