Singer Laren
Encyclopedia
Singer Laren is a museum and concert hall located in the center of Laren
on the Oude Drift. The museum is devoted to presenting and preserving the collection of the American artist William Henry Singer (1868–1943) and his wife Anna.
to Andrew Carnegie
. Against the wishes of his father, young Singer became an artist and after marrying Anna Spencer-Brugh in 1895, he moved to Monhegan, Maine
to join the artist colony there. His father was disappointed that he chose art rather than business and insisted he earn his living as an artist. His seascapes sold well, however, and together with the artist Martin Borgord, the couple traveled to Paris where they studied art at the Académie Julian
in 1901. Attracted by the artist colony in Laren, made famous by the Dutch painters Josef Israels, Anton Mauve
, Jacob Maris
, :nl:Albert Neuhuys, and their pupils such as :nl:Matthijs Maris, :nl:Arina Hugenholtz, they decided to settle there. They were not the first foreigners to visit the artist colony in Laren; Max Liebermann
, who often spent summers painting in the Netherlands, visited in the company of Isaac Israëls
, Josef's son. The Singers knew them and others such as the pointilists Co Breman & :nl:Ferdinand Hart Nibbrig. They remained special friends with Martin Borgord, with whom they traveled to Norway
. Other close friends were the painters Walter Griffin, Henri Le Sidaner
and Jacob & Willem Dooijewaard.
In 1954 Singer's widow founded the Singer Memorial Foundation, and in 1956 the museum was opened in their home on the Oude Drift, with a new concert hall attached. The museum hosts the Singer collection of paintings and sculpture and artifacts, by members of the Laren School, the Hague School
(Pulchri Studio
), and Bergen School (art), but also has examples of Expressionism
. Some of the more prominent names in the collection acquired since 1956, are Bart van der Leck
, Jan Sluijters, Leo Gestel
, Chris Beekman, Jan Toorop
, Mommie Schwarz, Else Berg, Gustave De Smet
and Herman Kruyder.
The museum has a café and often hosts visiting art exhibitions.
Laren
is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. Located in the region called 't Gooi, it is the oldest town in that area. It is one of the richest towns in the Netherlands, along with its neighbour Blaricum...
on the Oude Drift. The museum is devoted to presenting and preserving the collection of the American artist William Henry Singer (1868–1943) and his wife Anna.
History
William Henry Singer was the son of a steel baron of the same name who sold his company Pittsburgh Bessemer Steel Co.Bessemer process
The Bessemer process was the first inexpensive industrial process for the mass-production of steel from molten pig iron. The process is named after its inventor, Henry Bessemer, who took out a patent on the process in 1855. The process was independently discovered in 1851 by William Kelly...
to Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist, businessman, and entrepreneur who led the enormous expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century...
. Against the wishes of his father, young Singer became an artist and after marrying Anna Spencer-Brugh in 1895, he moved to Monhegan, Maine
Monhegan, Maine
Monhegan is a plantation on an island of the same name in Lincoln County, Maine, United States, about off the coast. The population was 75 at the 2000 census. As a plantation, Monhegan's governmental status falls between township and town...
to join the artist colony there. His father was disappointed that he chose art rather than business and insisted he earn his living as an artist. His seascapes sold well, however, and together with the artist Martin Borgord, the couple traveled to Paris where they studied art at the Académie Julian
Académie Julian
The Académie Julian was an art school in Paris, France.Rodolphe Julian established the Académie Julian in 1868 at the Passage des Panoramas, as a private studio school for art students. The Académie Julian not only prepared students to the exams at the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts, but offered...
in 1901. Attracted by the artist colony in Laren, made famous by the Dutch painters Josef Israels, Anton Mauve
Anton Mauve
Anthonij Rudolf Mauve was a Dutch realist painter who was a leading member of the Hague School. He signed his paintings 'A. Mauve' or with a monogrammed 'A.M.'. He was a very significant early influence on his cousin-in-law Vincent van Gogh.Most of Mauve's work depicts people and animals in...
, Jacob Maris
Jacob Maris
Jacob Maris was a Dutch painter, who with his brothers Willem and Matthijs belonged to what has come to be known as the Hague School of painters....
, :nl:Albert Neuhuys, and their pupils such as :nl:Matthijs Maris, :nl:Arina Hugenholtz, they decided to settle there. They were not the first foreigners to visit the artist colony in Laren; Max Liebermann
Max Liebermann
Max Liebermann was a German-Jewish painter and printmaker best known for his etching and lithography.-Biography:...
, who often spent summers painting in the Netherlands, visited in the company of Isaac Israëls
Isaac Israëls
Isaac Lazarus Israëls was a Dutch painter.The son of the painter Jozef Israëls, Isaac Israëls developed an interest in painting in childhood. Between 1878 and 1880 he studied at the academy in The Hague...
, Josef's son. The Singers knew them and others such as the pointilists Co Breman & :nl:Ferdinand Hart Nibbrig. They remained special friends with Martin Borgord, with whom they traveled to Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. Other close friends were the painters Walter Griffin, Henri Le Sidaner
Henri Le Sidaner
Henri Eugène Augustin Le Sidaner was an Intimist painter born to a French family in Port Louis, Mauritius. In 1870 he and his family settled in Dunkirk...
and Jacob & Willem Dooijewaard.
In 1954 Singer's widow founded the Singer Memorial Foundation, and in 1956 the museum was opened in their home on the Oude Drift, with a new concert hall attached. The museum hosts the Singer collection of paintings and sculpture and artifacts, by members of the Laren School, the Hague School
Hague School
The Hague School is the name given to a group of artists who lived and worked in The Hague between 1860 and 1890. Their work was heavily influenced by the realist painters of the French Barbizon school. The painters of the Hague school generally made use of relatively sombre colours, which is why...
(Pulchri Studio
Pulchri Studio
The Pulchri Studio is an important art institution and art studio based in The Hague, Netherlands. It began in 1847 at the home of painter Lambertus Hardenberg, established with the help of Johan Hendrik Weissenbruch, Jan Weissenbruch, Willem Roelofs, Jan Frederik van Deventer, Willem Antonie van...
), and Bergen School (art), but also has examples of Expressionism
Expressionism
Expressionism was a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Germany at the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it radically for emotional effect in order to evoke moods or ideas...
. Some of the more prominent names in the collection acquired since 1956, are Bart van der Leck
Bart van der Leck
Bart van der Leck was a Dutch painter, designer, and ceramacist. With Theo van Doesburg and Piet Mondrian he founded the De Stijl art movement....
, Jan Sluijters, Leo Gestel
Leo Gestel
Leo Gestel was a Dutch painter. His father Willem Gestel was an artist, too. Leo Gestel experimented with cubism, expressionism, futurism and postimpressionism...
, Chris Beekman, Jan Toorop
Jan Toorop
Jean Theodoor Toorop , better known as Jan Toorop, was an Indo painter, whose works straddle the space between the Symbolist painters and Art Nouveau.-Biography:...
, Mommie Schwarz, Else Berg, Gustave De Smet
Gustave De Smet
Gustave De Smet was a Belgian expressionist painter.Having first adopted the "luminist" style of Emile Claus, he came under the influence of expressionism and cubism during World War I....
and Herman Kruyder.
The museum has a café and often hosts visiting art exhibitions.