The Mesdag Collection: Trees that tell

The Mesdag Collection in The Hague is part of the world-famous Amsterdam Van Gogh Museum. The former The Hague house and museum of Willem and Sientje Mesdag, currently hosts fascinating exhibition combining paintings and poems. “Trees that Tell” expresses two contemporary artists’ worries about the heedless exploitation of Dutch forests, while paying homage to trees and woods as muses to art.

Artists Christiaan Kuitwaard and Jan Kleefstra started their joint project in September 2022. A year long, both visited woods – mostly in the northern parts of the Netherlands. At a spot, chosen by one or the other, they captured the impression they experienced in oils (Kuitwaard), as well as words (Kleefstra).

Their weekly visits resulted in over fifty oil sketches and free verse poems. In the exhibition “Trees that Tell”, poems and oil sketches are shown chronologically, capturing not just different woods but also the changing seasons and weather. Texts by author Annelies Henstra add her thoughts, impressions on biodiversity and our attitude to trees.

That the concerns of all three regarding our current attitude to trees is really worrying, is born out by something not clear in this exhibition. Visitors should realize that some of the works they admire in this exhibition, no longer exist as painted during this joint project.

Kuitwaard and Kleefstra mentioned at the opening of this exhibition, that both are not solely inspired by trees. Kuitwaard mentioned being inspired by artists including Constable, Whistler and Canadian artist Tom Thompson. Kleefstra stated he reads a lot, including poetry by Samuel Beckett.

In the exhibition, small works by Hague School members show how 19th century artists were also inspired by trees. Willem Mesdag actively tried to save parts of the landscape around The Hague. Of course, Théodore Rousseau’s “Massacre of the Innocents” (1845 ), capturing the exploitation of the Barbizon forest and owned by Willem and Sientje Mesdag, expresses the same concerns as Henstra, Kuitwaard and Kleefstra have. (Théodore Rousseau’s work is currently not in this collection, but temporarily on display at an exhibition in France.)

The book accompanying this joint project is called “Boswerk”, but currently only available in Dutch. This exhibition closes 21st of July 2024. This museum is open on specific days of the week, so visit the museum’s website to prevent being disappointed.

Header image author’s own, showing both artists during the opening of the exhibition at the Mesdag Collection;
Photo: Christiaan Kuitwaard and Jan Kleefstra at work, curtsy Mesdag Collection

Museum website: Mesdag Collection, The Hague

Related article on forest destruction, Guardian: Global rainforest loss continues at a rate of 10 football pitches a minute

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