New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-11-20
A DUTCH ARTIST COLONY.
Working Amid Picturesque Sur
roundings in North Holland.
Egmond-op-den-Hoef, Nov. J..


hard working little colony of American art
students has established itself in North Holland
at the historic little village of Egmond-op-den-
Hoef, where for some twenty years two Aneri-
can painters. George Hitchcock and Carl Melch-
ers, have made their homes and have done most
of their best work. The opalescent atmosphere,
saturated with hazy vapors from the canals and
Illuminated with soft. subdued mellow light from
the pearl blue skies. to exert magic
spell in developing the color sense. The shad-
ows never crude; the landscape presents
masses of harmonies resulting from tones super
posed upon tones. for this northern sun pro-
duces no lines contours objects and figures
are defined by ambient patches of light and
color. Black and white cattle, red tile cottages,
fields Of scarlet poppes plantations of white,
blue and crimson tulips and hyacinths, the uni
versal green Of the pastures and of the foliage,
never become monotonous or metallic, because
they change constantly with the ever varying
combinations of the with the radiant moist
ure of the air. and appear like, delicate canoes
emerging from grayish pearl backgrounds. The
atmosphere Of Holland, and particularly of
North Holland. resembles that of the Venetian
lagoons, but no who has not visited this
artistic color paradise fully appreciate
Taine's masterful analysis of Dutch atmosphere
in La Philosophie de Fart" the conclusions of
. which that Holland is the great educator
OF the artists eye, and that nature here makes
the true colorist
This quaint little village of Bgmond-op-den-
Hoef-so called because its marketplace is half
oval, like horses hoof-contains forty
fifty picturesque houses, most of which were
built in the sixteenth seventeenth century.
One finds at every turn some interesting relic
OF the national struggle against the Spanish
domination. It was here that Count Egmond.
| hArV
The garden gate of George Hitchcocks studio
is partly made Of stone projectiles used by the
artillery of the Duka Of Alba Spanish field
pieces may still be seen in pasture where
American art students assemble TO paint cattle
and sheep. IN a neighboring potato patch hu-
man skeletons. odd bits of Castilian armor and
a Toledo sword blade were recently dug up. Egg
mond is situated within a couple of hours walk
of the antique cheese making town of Alkmaar,
and is dozen miles north Of Harlem. The roll
ing sand dunes and dykes that prevent the North
Sea from flooding the country-"God made the
sea. but man made the land" is the watchword
Of the North Hollander-add variety to the views
from the mansions Of George Hitchcock and of
Carl Melchers. who reign undisturbed In their
ideal art realms. The residence of the former
dates from the fifteenth century, and its his
torical name Schulz Burg'-"Protectlon and
SheIter'-had practical meaning IN tho days Of
Alba, when the Netherlands were overrun by
!a"Iess Spanish soldiery. The dwelling house
IS Ver1tabie museum, where the artist and his
charming New-England wife have collected rare
Dent porcelain, antique silver, medieval wooden
images eighteenth century chairs, chests Of
drawers. tables. wardrobes and sideboards. beau
TRULY carved. delicately inlaid with yariegated
wood and covered with that peculiar patine OF
age SO velvety to the touch. which delights the
heart Of the true connoisseur
1t is amid these delightful surroundings
that group Of American art students, under
the direction Of Messrs. Hitchcock and Melch-
ers toll for eight hours each day with brush
and palette They about thirty in number
mostly young women Of considerably advanced
instruction-who may be seen working persist
emily in the dunes. in tulip fields beside dark
dreamy canals, or amid the herds of black and
white cows whose pedigrees extend almost as
far back as the conquest Of julius Caesar. North
Holland is assuredly a painters paradise. and
It is never rich, so varied luminous in
color as IN the autumn c. 1. B.