Exhibition highlighting digitised sculptor's archives

07 August 2024

Lucebert, Atelierfoto met Willem Reijers, ca. 1957, collectie RKD

On 10 October, the RKD opens the exhibition Memorials: Statues of liberation. The temporary exhibition shows a selection of objects from the archives of four sculptors who were responsible for some of the best-known monumental memorial sculptures after World War II.

Digitaliserings project

In 2023, the RKD started digitising thirteen sculptors' archives relating to the period around World War II. The archives contain 40 metres of correspondence, personal documents, photographs and administration and provide insight into artistic life during the war and after the Liberation. Digitisation was recently completed and in the coming months the archives will become available online in RKD Research.

Mari Andriessen in tentoonstelling Herdenkingsmonumenten: Vrijheid in Beeld — 1. Photo press office C. de Boer, Mari Andriessen and Paul van Crimpen work on the Marine Monument in Andriessen's garden, 1965, collection RKD
2. Diary of Mari Andriessen from 1965: on 20-24 June 1965 he noted ‘chopping up Marine with v. Cr.’, collection RKD

Exhibition on commemorative monuments

For an impression of the archival material, a temporary exhibition will be set up at the RKD with a small selection. The focus is on a specific aspect of the post-Liberation period, when there was a great need for monuments to keep the memory of the war alive and to commemorate the victims. In total, some 3,900 war memorials arose in the years 1945-1965. This unprecedented high number of monumental, autonomous sculptures in public spaces meant a large flow of commissions for artists and a boost for sculpture in the Netherlands.

Fred Carasso werkend aan het kleibeeld van de Prometheus op het terrein van het Olympisch Stadion, 1947, collectie RKD — 3. Fred Carasso working on the clay sculpture of Prometheus on the grounds of the Olympic Stadium, 1947, collection RKD
4. Bill from Goedewaagen's Firma for 80 pieces of modelling clay for the Prometheus, 24 April 1947, collection RKD

Four sculptors

The exhibition Memorials: Statues of liberation shows the genesis and creation process of monuments by four sculptors who played an important role in post-war Holland: Mari Andriessen, Willem Reijers, Charlotte van Pallandt and Fred Carasso. In addition to archive material from the RKD, preliminary studies and models in plaster and bronze from the collection of Museum Beelden aan Zee are included in the exhibition.

The exhibition Memorials: Statues of liberation opens on 10 October 2024. The RKD's programme during Museum Night The Hague on 12 October will focus on the exhibition. On 7 November, Dr Matisse Huiskes will hold an RKD Talk on Fred Carasso.