THE HAGUE.- From 5 July, Kunstmuseum Den Haag will present an exhibition about two exceptional women. All they had – Jacoba van Heemskerck x Marie Tak van Poortvliet tells the story of a romantic relationship, spiritual idealism and modernist artistic endeavours. It is a story filled with relevant themes such as women’s rights, queer identity, the search for meaning, sustainability and mental health.

A hidden love, a shared ideal

Jacoba van Heemskerck (1876–1923) and Marie Tak van Poortvliet (1871–1936) first met in The Hague at a young age. Van Heemskerck would later attend the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague as well. Their friendship developed into a lifelong romantic partnership – one that remained largely hidden due to social conventions. Driven by their shared ideals – on which they were sometimes overly fixated, to the detriment of other interests – both Marie Tak van Poortvliet and Jacoba van Heemskerck consistently put the goal of a better world above all else.

Pioneers of modern art

Van Heemskerck went on to become one of the leading expressionists of her day. Tak van Poortvliet, for her part, established herself as one of the most important collectors of modern art, female or otherwise. She supported Van Heemskerck in all manner of ways: as a patron, as a critic and as her partner. In the male-dominated art world, the women’s independence, influence and talent inspired both admiration and suspicion. Over time, their summer home in Domburg, Villa Loverendale, became a breeding ground for the avant-garde. The pair shared a deep appreciation for the tenets of theosophy, anthroposophy and biodynamic agriculture – convictions which shaped their art and life together, as well as their decision-making.

Mondrian, Marc and Kandinsky

The exhibition features highlights from Van Heemskerck’s oeuvre: colourful paintings, drawings and stained-glass works, all primarily concerned with spirituality, colour and an expressive visual language. These aspects are clearly displayed in Two trees , a fine example of Van Heemskerck’s early luminist work. The spiritual charge of the ‘tree of life’ is a recurring motif in her art. In addition to Van Heemskerck’s oeuvre, Kunstmuseum Den Haag will also display a number of important pieces from Tak van Poortvliet’s private collection. These include works by Piet Mondrian, Franz Marc, Wassily Kandinsky and many other artists of that era who inspired both Van Heemskerck and Tak van Poortvliet.

Colonial wealth

Tak van Poortvliet paid for her art collection with the great wealth amassed by successive generations of her landowning family. That fortune was tainted: as co-founders of the Dutch West India Company (WIC) in the 17th century, Tak van Poortvliet’s forefathers were actively involved in the colonial sugar trade and therefore in the exploitation of enslaved people to grow that sugar. Upon her death, Marie Tak van Poortvliet bequeathed her collection to Kunstmuseum Den Haag and Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen. She donated the remainder of her estate to biodynamic agriculture.

Visionary and controversial

Jacoba van Heemskerck and Marie Tak van Poortvliet shared a progressive vision for art and society which was not uncontroversial. During the first World War, they remained staunch advocates for German culture thanks to their spiritual and intellectual ties to Der Sturm, a successful art gallery, publisher and viewing space for modern art in Berlin. This position was rather unpopular in the Netherlands. Nevertheless, they remained committed to their ideals and to the belief that art, spirituality and thought which transcend borders can show us the way to a better world.

Exhibition and publication

The exhibition has been organised in cooperation with Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen and is based on new research by Jacqueline van Paaschen, culminating in the biography entitled Marie Tak van Poortvliet: Alles gegeven, 2025, Uitgeverij Prometheus .