OTTERLO.- The Kröller-Müller Museum is presenting The patron and the ‘house painter’. Helene Kröller-Müller and Bart van der Leck. A selection of the forty-two paintings and approximately four hundred drawings from the collection are on display. This exhibition examines the development of Van der Leck from the perspective of Helene Kröller-Müller. As his patron, she is closely involved with him. Based on the many letters, we follow her train of thought and see how the new work relates to the rest of her collection. The exhibition is showing until 2 April 2018.

Helene as Patron
Between 1912 and 1918 Van der Leck receives an annual allowance from Helene Kröller-Müller, on the recommendation of her advisor Hendrik Bremmer. Thus she becomes Van der Leck’s patron and in 1914 the artist is employed by the firm Wm H. Müller & Co. Van der Leck makes a large stained glass window for the headquarters in The Hague, posters, mosaics for the office in London and colour designs for the interiors of the residences, including the St Hubertus Hunting Lodge.

Abstract
In her Beschouwingen (observations) in 1925, Helene calls him a ‘more versatile, more powerful artist than Mondriaan’, but in 1916 she struggles with the radical abstraction in his work. In that year, Van der Leck also meets Piet Mondriaan and Theo van Doesburg. During this period both Mondriaan and Van der Leck are searching in their art, working diligently in their studios and subsequently coming up with revolutionary innovations. Van der Leck simplifies the form in his paintings and radically reduces the colour in his work to just the primary colours.

Treasure Trove of De Stijl
In 2017 it has been hundred years since the founding of De Stijl, the world-famous avant-garde art movement. With masterpieces by Piet Mondriaan, Theo van Doesburg, Bart van der Leck and Gerrit Rietveld, among others, the Kröller-Müller is one of the treasure troves of De Stijl.

Mondriaan to Dutch Design
2017 is the year in which we celebrate 100 years of designing the future. The immediate cause is the founding of De Stijl in 1917, elements of which can still be seen today in Dutch Design. To celebrate this milestone, NBTC Holland Marketing, together with its partners, has declared 2017 the theme year ‘Mondriaan to Dutch Design’.

The theme year marks the introduction of the storyline from Mondriaan to Dutch Design, which brings visitors to interesting locations throughout the Netherlands that are related to works from the period of De Stijl and contemporary design. Museums, heritage sites and events in the Netherlands focus on the work of top designers, open studios to the public and pay tribute to artists such as Mondriaan, Rietveld, Van der Leck and Van Doesburg.