For a long time, portraits were only affordable for the wealthiest in society. A painted, drawn or printed portrait was valuable. The vast majority of people were therefore never portrayed, and we therefore do not see them in museum collections. That must change!
In order for the portraits of the 21st century to be a good reflection of our times, we need new faces. This way everyone can recognize themselves in the stories and faces shown in the museum.
Together with the Frans Hals Museum, we went into the province to make and collect new portraits in co-creation. In the exhibition Faces of North Holland you can see the untold stories from Aalsmeer to Texel.
Historical (group) portraits and stories from the province served as a source of inspiration for the artists, residents and organizations that participated in Faces of North Holland. Co-creation – equal collaboration – with all partners was important in this project to create new portraits that contribute to a more complete picture of society.
The results of the co-creations, and also of the portrait competition in which more than a thousand people participated, can be seen in the museum from July 26.
Amsterdam Museum aan de Amstel, Amstel 51