Brief aan Jan Veth Possibly 1899

Peggy Nicoline Kappeyne van de Coppello wrote this letter to Jan Veth in The Hague, Netherlands, on April 10, 1899. Here, she expresses her thanks for a portrait. Letters such as this offer a unique window into the art world of the late 19th century. Through them, we can start to reconstruct the complex network of artists, critics, and patrons that shaped artistic production. Jan Veth, to whom this letter is addressed, was an important critic and artist, deeply involved in the cultural life of the Netherlands. Kappeyne van de Coppello was part of a generation of women artists who struggled for recognition in a male-dominated art world. Did Veth’s portrait offer her recognition in a world in which institutions of art were dominated by men? Her enthusiastic tone certainly suggests it. Historians can investigate the archives of artists and critics like these, piecing together the social and institutional context that gave rise to their work. Through that research, we might better understand the power dynamics at play in the art world of the time.