THE HAGUE.- Julie de Graag was a talented contemporary of M.C. Escher. The two artists shared a great love of nature, closely observing the world around them, and depicting it in their own unique way. Using just a few details, Julie de Graag managed to capture the essence of plants, animals and people. This exhibition presents her rich oeuvre alongside that of Escher, in the year that marks the centenary of her death.

In her stylised prints, Julie de Graag (1877-1924) gave ordinary subjects like animals, landscapes, flowers and plants a certain grandeur. By the time M.C. Escher was just embarking on his career, she had already developed her unique style. The exhibition of prints and drawings from Kunstmuseum Den Haag’s collection promises to be a real revelation for the general public.

Unlike Escher, who became a world-famous artist, De Graag is now known mainly among aficionados. Despite the beauty and depth of her work, and the fact that it features in some important Dutch art collections, she has received little attention to date. Escher in The Palace recently researched her life and work, which depicts the richness of nature and the essence of life, and will now shed a new light on both her work and that of Escher.

Poor health and major setback

Neither of these two artists enjoyed a carefree childhood. They both faced health problems from a young age. Escher was often ill as a child, and spent extended periods in convalescent homes from the age of seven. De Graag had a sheltered childhood, and even as an adult continued to need a lot of support from her mother. For both Escher and De Graag, their physical frailty left them somewhat isolated. They remained undeterred, however, and both unhesitatingly committed themselves to the life of an artist.

De Graag, who was born in Gorinchem, moved to The Hague as a child, where she later studied at the art academy (known now as KABK). With formal training in decorative arts, sculpting and life drawing, she turned her attention to printmaking. Almost none of her early work has survived, however, having been destroyed in a devastating fire on New Year’s Day 1908. Her studio in Laren, Noord-Holland, which she had moved into in 1904, was lost. The fire also destroyed all of her woodcut materials, so she was forced to switch to painting for a while. But her love of printmaking persisted, and De Graag returned to it, encouraged by those around her.

Artistic circles

After trying out several things, Escher chose to train as an artist at the School of Architecture and Decorative Arts. The man who taught him printmaking techniques, Samuel Jessurun de Mesquita, recognised his talent and encouraged the young Escher. It was during this period that the foundations of his later artistic career were laid. Although it is not clear whether Escher and De Graag ever met or knew one another, they moved in the same artistic circles. De Mesquita’s sister and brother-in-law, Anna and Joseph Mendes da Costa, were friends of De Graag’s. It is likely that De Graag and Escher had heard of each other. What is certainly clear, however, is that they were both fascinated by the medium of printmaking.

Like Escher, De Graag often depicted the people around her. One of them was art teacher and art expert Henk Bremmer. She wrote to ask him whether he would like to have the portrait she had made of him. Bremmer had a great liking for De Graag’s work, and brought it to the attention of collectors, ensuring that it ended up in the collection of the Kröller-Müller Museum, and at other institutions.

Meticulous observation

Julie de Graag taught herself botany and zoology, and was thus able to produce animal prints that are full of character. An entire gallery will be devoted to them in the exhibition. Take Two Owls (1921), for example, in which the bird in front looks watchful and defensive as it protects the anxious-looking owl behind. Although she had a great talent for black-and-white images, De Graag also often used vibrant colours, and produced work in relatively small formats. Escher, too, enjoyed observing animals at length. During his training he had an opportunity to sketch animals at Artis zoo in Amsterdam. He was particularly interested in birds, reptiles and fish, which he captured with a keen eye for detail.

Julie de Graag also addressed other, more emotionally charged, themes in her art, such as the Latin expression ‘memento mori’ (‘remember you must die’). She literally made this the subject of a print of the same name which she produced in 1916. Her reason for making such a print at that particular moment is clear. De Graag’s health problems regularly prompted bouts of depression, but it was the horrors of the First World War that caused her mental state to deteriorate further. She was unable to cope with the suffering and stress. In her final years, De Graag simplified her prints and chose to depict more tranquil subjects. She relied increasingly on the support of her parents in The Hague and her doubts about her abilities grew. These thoughts eventually came to dominate, and she took her own life on 2 February 1924.

In this exhibition Escher in The Palace showcases Julie de Graag and her contribution to art, in the context of the prints of fellow printmaker M.C. Escher.