What Barbizon was to France, Drenthe might have been to the Netherlands. Artists flocked there en masse and were inspired by the beauty of nature. Rolde in particular was also very popular, for example by painters Arie van der Boon, Julius van de Sande Bakhuyzen and Louis Albert Roessingh.
“They came here to paint here because Rolde was a terribly beautiful village,” says Johannes Schutrup. “It was inspiring for painters.
Schutrup has collected almost 130 paintings over the years, 26 of which now hang in the Jacobuskerk in Rolde. Today is the opening of the exhibition, where a book will also be presented containing all information about the works: Around the Rolder Tower.
“Johannes is a walking address book,” says Harry de Geeter, author of the book. “He knows exactly who lived in which house in the paintings and where that was exactly. But it had never been recorded before.”
What appeals to the two is showing the history of Rolde and the surrounding area. The impressionistic style of the painters in Schutrups’ collection ensures that many works depict the situation lifelike. Schutrup: “We now record everything with the telephone and photos. You didn’t have that in the past. So the painters started painting how it used to be.”
And now everything is recorded in a book. “Perhaps our descendants will thank us for it,” says De Geeter. “Everything worth keeping, I think you should keep. Also things of which we say: oh, it’s old rubbish”.
Watch how the works show Rolde’s history in this video: