Portret-buste van Mevr. A. C. Berlage-van der Togt c. 1950

Bart van Hove fashioned this plaster bust of Mrs. A. C. Berlage-van der Togt in the Netherlands, at the turn of the 20th century. It's a striking example of how artistic patronage and social circles intertwined. Van Hove, deeply embedded in the art world as the director of the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague, created this work depicting the wife of the famous architect Hendrik Petrus Berlage. These commissions were a way for artists like Van Hove to solidify their position within the cultural establishment. The bust itself, with its Neoclassical style and the rose motif, speaks to the tastes of the Dutch upper class at the time. It is a reflection of their desire for elegant, refined art that celebrated their status. We can look at letters, exhibition reviews, and other archival materials from that time, for clues about how the cultural elite saw themselves, and how art played a part in constructing and maintaining their social identity.