Twee rode tulpen 1844 - 1909

Sientje Mesdag-van Houten painted these two red tulips in watercolor. Although undated, we can see that Mesdag-van Houten worked within a generation of female artists in the Netherlands for whom flower painting was both a respectable genre and an opportunity to explore new approaches to the medium. The scale and composition of the painting are intimate and informal; rather than a carefully arranged bouquet, Mesdag-van Houten gives us a close-up of two flowers, observed with an unromantic directness. The swift brushstrokes, and the wet-on-wet technique, show the influence of Impressionism. Although art institutions were still largely dominated by men, new movements gave female artists such as Mesdag-van Houten opportunities to participate in a changing art world. By looking at exhibition catalogues and artists’ biographies, we can learn more about Mesdag-van Houten’s place in the artistic life of her time, and how she navigated the social structures that shaped her career.