Herman Kruyder. Expressionist of the soul

Herman Kruyder (1881–1935) was one of the Netherlands’ most striking and exceptional Expressionists. This exhibition at Singer Laren is the first monographic presentation of his work in thirty years.

Due to his mental fragility, Kruyder has in the past been unfairly dismissed as a ‘mad genius’, a loner and a childlike talent. Drawing on new art-historical research, guest curator Caroline Roodenburg-Schadd instead places Kruyder’s artistic development at the centre of the exhibition. Where necessary, Kruyder’s medical history is presented in a nuanced and factual manner to explain the influences on his art, without resorting to over-interpretation or romanticised portrayals.

Viewed through this new lens, Kruyder emerges not as the isolated artist to whom he has long been reduced, but as an active and conscious participant in the modern art world with a visual language entirely his own. His work is characterised by a strong sense of colour, carefully constructed compositions and a penetrating, sometimes lyrical, sometimes intense vision of humanity and nature. As the conventional labels associated with Kruyder begin to fade, the image that emerges is of a complete artist and human being, with all his vulnerabilities and talents.

Jo Kruyder-Bouman
The exhibition also highlights the work of Jo Kruyder-Bouman (1886–1973). Kruyder-Bouman emerges as a versatile artist who was known, amongst other things, for her children’s books and woodcuts.