Amsterdamse Joffers
also: Amsterdamsche Joffers
The Amsterdamse Joffers were a group of women artists who met weekly in Amsterdam from the mid-1890s to support each other's professional careers. Most studied at the Rijksakademie in its separate class for women and belonged to Amsterdam Impressionism; they gathered at the home of the established portraitist Thérèse Schwartze, who was Lizzy Ansingh's aunt. Coming from wealthy families, they could work without selling for bread - and did so with such consistency that the critic Albert Plasschaert named them the 'Amsterdamsche Joffers' in 1912. Exhibiting regularly at Arti et Amicitiae, Sint Lucas, and Pulchri Studio, and abroad in Hamburg and Brussels, they helped make women's professional artistry acceptable in the Netherlands. Their subject world is intimate - still life, portraiture, and Ansingh's celebrated dolls.
Defining characteristics
- Still life and portraiture dominate; quiet, intimate subjects
- Darker, Hague-School-derived palettes creating a subdued, melancholic mood
- Refined, controlled brushwork within an impressionist handling
- Modest scale suited to private interiors and society exhibitions
- Ansingh's uncanny doll paintings give the circle its most distinctive imagery
Key figures
- Thérèse Schwartze (1851-1918) — Leading Amsterdam portraitist who hosted the circle's weekly meetings
- Lizzy Ansingh (1875-1959) — Best-known member, famous for still lifes of dolls
- Coba Ritsema (1876-1961) — Regarded as the group's most talented painter; still lifes and teaching
- Betsy Westendorp-Osieck (1880-1968) — Still lifes, watercolors, and Japanese-influenced work
Example works
- Three Girls from the Amsterdam Orphanage — Thérèse Schwartze (1885)
- Portrait of Lizzy Ansingh — Thérèse Schwartze (1902)
Sources
- Amsterdamse Joffers - Wikipedia encyclopedia