Herinnering aan het Nederlandsch Muziekfeest gegeven te Amsterdam op 10-11 en 12 januari 1902 1902

Theo Neuhuys created this commemorative print for the Dutch Music Festival in Amsterdam in 1902. At first glance, it appears as a formal arrangement of portraits framed by ornate borders in soft beige. The grid-like structure, however, creates a complex interplay between individual representation and collective identity. The portraits, all rendered in a monochromatic palette, are meticulously arranged, suggesting a unified artistic community. The bordering vegetal motifs, while decorative, seem to echo a sense of organic growth and interconnectedness of the individuals within the artistic sphere. The inscription, ‘Eigen Kunst is Eigen Leven’—'Own Art is Own Life'—further emphasizes this link. The structure of the print challenges the traditional notion of the individual artistic genius, instead presenting a network of artists contributing to a shared cultural life. The symmetrical layout and repeating patterns invite a reading of art as a system, where individual contributions are elements within a larger cultural framework. This print invites us to consider how collective memory and artistic identity are constructed through formal structures and visual codes.