North Sea artists' colonies, 1880-1920:their development and rôle in marketing modernism

The body of material offered by this study-region provides the best fully-representative data yet to explain the increasing waves of interest late-nineteenth century artists had in forming avant-garde rural groups and why moving to the sandy coast was one of the most advantageous career options. There are ample grounds to justify the assumption that many pragmatic considerations sustained their enthusiasm once the initial ideological choice had been made to engage closer with the countryside. This research focusses on the all-important pioneering stages of artists’ colonies. This region offers excellent examples of contrasting national art histories, differing socio-political systems and economic dynamics, which combined successfully to influence the rise of Modernism, yet all set in one relatively homogeneous geographical environment. This study asserts that even though some villages were more remote than others, rural artists’ colonies, at their best, were an integral part of the international rise of Modern Art. Innovative technology influenced the timing of these experimental, cooperative ventures, particularly because of transport improvements; the invention of paint tubes and improved equipment; the challenges of lithography and photography; and new, commercial print-publishing. Financial matters affected all parts of the profession, which witnessed a huge swing from the monopolistic Academy-Salon System to that of new international Art Market, or Dealer-Critic System. Artists’ colonies integrated these marketing lessons and, assisted by fashionable outlets, further pooled their resources and working knowledge. These forums were new social formations, where mutual benefits were gained irrespective of status, provenance, religion, nationality, gender, age or even artistic style, factors that separate these groups from brotherhoods or traditional hierachical studios systems. They required a settled core-group of founders and sympathetic hosts, who all recognised the potential and adapted to changing circumstances in creative ways. Chief among the village contributors, for many practical reasons, were the innkeepers, together with their families. Artists’ hotels grew as important social centres and clubs and were often the first places that the art work was shown, encouraging vital peer-group criticism, support and affirmation. No two colonies were the same yet, in Skagen (DK), Worpswede (D), Domburg, Laren and Volendam (NL), amongst others, artists found fellowship and the time to explore common interests, at least for a while