Xavier Mellery (1845-1921) Marken triptych, c. 1882-1884 Signed 'XMellery' Chalk and ink on paper 10ΒΌ by 13 inches (26 by 33.5 cm) first of three drawings
Between 1870 and 1914, artists flocked to the Netherlands in search of what had inspired their seventeenth century predecessors. With industrialization well under way, remote fishing villages such as Volendam and Marken, with their exotic inhabitants dressed in traditional costumes, became the attraction for Monet and lesser known artists such as the Belgian symbolist Xavier Mellery. With travel restrictions still in place Dreaming of Holland brings together different worlds through the vision of denizens and explorers, transporting us to other existences in the past.