AMSTERDAM.- Choreographer Hans van Manen has donated his photographic oeuvre to the Rijksmuseum. Alongside his choreographic career, in the 1980s and 90s Van Manen developed a small, scrupulously composed body of photographic work comprising portraits of dancers and male nudes. A striking characteristic of his photographic style is the apparent simplicity of composition, with its primary focus on capturing aesthetic beauty. The gift comprises 86 photographs by Van Manen. In 2019 he and his partner Henk van Dijk donated 21 photographs by Robert Mapplethorpe to the Rijksmuseum.

Hans van Manen’s powerful photographs are testimony to his eye as a choreographer. The unique tone of his work makes it a key facet of Dutch photography of the 1980s. - Taco Dibbits, Director of the Rijksmuseum

Photography

It is difficult to believe that Hans van Manen even had time for photography alongside his work as a choreographer for the Dutch National Ballet. However, as he explains, he greatly enjoyed being able to work alone and in peace – away from the intensity of working with large groups of dancers – concentrating on his photography and printing his negatives in the darkroom. Van Manen’s images, always in square 6x6 format, are meticulously styled and perfectly printed. Almost all his sitters were dancers, but the nude was also an important aspect of his photographic work, as he pointed out in an interview with Joyce Roodnat:

I love the nude. Wearing clothing means filling the gaps in a story. I want to present something else: information, an impression – not a personal account. I make portraits – of people and parts of their bodies – that are as beautiful, objective and unsentimental as possible, but not insensitive.

Recognition

While Hans van Manen did pursue photography away from the spotlight that shone on his work as an internationally acclaimed choreographer, he has no cause for complaint about the level of recognition for this area of his life. He has exhibited widely, in Spain, Germany and France, as well as in the Netherlands, with his friend Paul Blanca. His book Portrait was released in 1986.

Mentee and mentor

Van Manen’s inspiration and mentor was Robert Mapplethorpe, whom he knew personally. And, in turn, Van Manen became mentor to the young Erwin Olaf. In 2022 they joined forces for the Dance in Close-Up series, comprising stills and close-ups of Van Manen’s choreographies.