The worlds of Jan Toorop in Laren

Singer Laren presents the exhibition 'The Worlds of Jan Toorop' until May 10, 2026. With over eighty masterpieces—paintings, works on paper, sculptures, and letters—and surprising combinations with work by contemporaries and followers, the exhibition offers a new perspective on one of the most important and versatile artists in the Netherlands around 1900: Jan Toorop (1858–1928). 'The Worlds of Jan Toorop' shows for the first time how Toorop explicitly and lastingly related to his Javanese and Chinese roots throughout his entire career. Do NOT miss this exhibition, which is among the TOP 10 exhibitions of 2026. Reservation of the day and time slot is mandatory online, but admission is free with a Museum Card and/or VriendenLoterij VIP card. This time I will use the images from the Facebook page and walk through the exhibition chronologically using the stamps.

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In Rotterdam, Delft, and The Hague, the floral Belgian Art Nouveau, with its undulating constructions, gained a considerable following. A famous example of The Hague Art Nouveau is the poster design by Jan Toorop for a Delft salad oil factory, NOF Calvé-Delft (1894, 'salad oil style'). In Toorop's design, all depth is avoided, and he did not attempt to make it a painting. The areas next to the female figures are entirely filled with undulating lines.

The sealing stamp below dates from 1914. When the First World War broke out, nearly one million Belgians headed north. These refugees streamed into the country on foot, by bicycle, and by train. Families took people into their homes, companies made factory halls available, and the government established a Royal National Relief Committee. The management of the Delft Industry – the Yeast and Spirits Factory, Calvé, and the Glue Factory – was deeply concerned about the refugees, partly because business ties with Belgium were strong. Much yeast production took place in two large factories in Huy and Bruges. The De Gemeenschap building in the Agnetapark was adapted to accommodate refugees, just as the Bottle Factory on the Haagweg and the Maritime Engineering Technical University building provided shelter.

To raise funds, the company comes up with a brilliant idea. The advertising posters that Calvé has been publishing since the end of the nineteenth century were already renowned back then. The management is now releasing ten of these top designs as reproductions on a sealing stamp. For ten cents, interested parties can purchase the series featuring artworks by George Hendrik Breitner, Theo Nieuwenhuis, John TooropTheo van Hoytema, Jacques Zon, Lothar Meggendorfer, Jan Rinke, and Jan Wiegman. The proceeds go to the Royal National Relief Committee. The campaign is a success. Who wouldn't want such a beautiful set of stamps, while also doing good for Belgian refugees? Interested parties can report to the 'Advertising Department', because that is ultimately what it was, of course – a great publicity stunt. (Source: Delft City Archives).

Metamorphosis is the seventh novel by Louis Couperus. The work was first published in 1897 by his regular publisher, LJ Veen. The novel itself is divided into five parts: The Book of Torquato Tasso, The Book of Mathilde, The Book of Nirvana, The Book of Anarchism, and The Book of Metamorphosis. At the beginning, the protagonist is the 20-year-old Hugo Aylva, who largely serves as a model for Couperus himself. Central to the stories is the protagonist's spiritual development and his urge to constantly create new art. Initially, he does this by devoting himself to writing poetry, which, however, does not become a great success. Aylva's love life is also explored; he enters into a relationship with his own cousin Emilie and also develops feelings for a divorced woman in Paris, who, however, feels nothing for him. In the later books, the focus revolves around Hugo's daughter Mathilde and his son Arnold, among others.

The stippling technique is Pointillism. Pointillism is a painting technique that was practiced primarily at the end of the nineteenth century. The technique is characterized by the use of dots placed unmixed on the canvas. The main goal was to accentuate the light based on an analysis of the colors. Famous painters include Georges Seurat, Paul Signac.

In 1923, the well-known Toorop stamps were issued as 2ct + 5ct (violet-blue): symbolic representation and 10ct + 5ct (orange-red): depiction of giving and receiving. Surcharge for the benefit of six associations. Mintage: 2ct: 198.955; 10ct: 207.904.