Top 3: Karen Polder
exhibition and graphic designer
In 2010, Museum De Lakenhal organized 'Werk in Uitvoering' (Work in Progress). For the period of a year, the museum researched the history of its own collection and showcased to the public what usually remains behind closed doors. Everyone was welcome to take a look at the registering, researching, cleaning, conserving and photographing of thousands of objects. A nice acquaintance with the enormously rich collection, also for me as graphic designer of Werk in Uitvoering. However, two out of my three favorite objects were acquired after 2010. What I mean to say is, the collection isn't static and new interesting objects come along continuously.
Jan Steen, Merry Couple
However, first in my top 3 is a painting that has been in the museum's collection for over a hundred years. A couple madly in love, painted by Jan Steen in the middle of the seventeenth century.
Stoeiend paar
Jan Steen
Jan Steen is een van de beroemdste Leidse kunstenaars. Hij werd vooral bekend door zijn rumoerige genretaferelen die aanleiding gaven tot het gezegde: ‘Een huishouden van Jan Steen’. Deze werken worden vaak beschouwd als realistische weergaven van het volksleven, maar ze hebben daarnaast ook een diepere, zinnebeeldige betekenis. Dit schilderij bevat bijvoorbeeld allerlei erotische zinspelingen. Zo hangt boven het stel een vogelkooi met daarin een nepvogel die andere vogels in de val moet lokken. De vogelkooi, inclusief het in- en uitgaan van de vogel, representeert de (on)deugd en lust. Het konijn, symbool voor vruchtbaarheid, hoort bij het dolverliefde koppel dat zich onbespied waant. De knolrapen en de pot verwijzen naar de menselijke geslachtsorganen. Achter het vrolijke tafereel gaat een ernstige gedachte schuil: deze liefde is onkuis. Het Stoeiend paar heeft een pendant, dat zich nu in een privécollectie bevindt, met de voorstelling van een paartje onder een duiventil. Dat verbeeldt juist de ordentelijke liefde. Samen illustreerden de schilderijen de tegenstelling tussen bandeloze en vergeestelijkte liefde.
Read moremerry couple
The rabbit and opened birdcage point to the airy-fairy way of this couple. Jan Steen also painted a pendant depicting a chaste couple. I'd love to see this painting, but it remains in a private collection. I wonder if the pure couple on this other painting radiates just as much joy as this merry couple. By any means, this painting makes me happy when I look at it!
Hendrik Valk, design for a poster
In 2015, the museum exhibited works by Hendrik Valk oon the occasion of a generous gift. During my research for the design of this exhibition I came across this placard. How Valk depicted a scull (vanity, emptyness!) on a poster for his own exhibition fascinated me. Uncompromisingly he forced the letters into geometrical shapes, making them nearly unreadable. His search after, and gradual abrading of the precize shapes is visible in the pencil lines and little pieces of paper that still stick to the poster. It touches me. The wrinkles that have appeared in the paper over time turn the object even more into an example of ephemerality...
Marjan Teeuwen, Verwoest Huis Leiden
In 2015, Marjan Teeuwen magically transformed four houses on the Lammermarkt, at the backside of the museum, into an mpressive architectonic installation. By 'magically' I don't mean it was done just like that (a small team worked on the project for months), but the end result was truly magical.
a monumental photo series
Marjan Teeuwen made a monumental photo series thas was added to the museum's collection. After the reopening of the museum in 2018, at least two photo's will be on permanent display. I already look forward to their expressiveness and the memories they will evoke with me.
about Karen Polder
Karen Polder has been working as a designer in The Hague from 1990. In 1989, she graduated with honours at the Koninklijke Academie van Beeldende Kunsten in The Hague, and thereafter she went to the Royal College of Art in London for her Master's degree.
Besides exhibitions in Museum De Lakenhal, she was responsible for exhibition and book design for among others the Koninklijke Bibliotheek, the Letterkundig Museum, Centraal Museum Utrecht and the Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie (RKD).