Dutch Light

The mystical Dutch light has inspired thousands of artists both in the Golden Age of Dutch painting in the 17th century and in impressionist France. It was in the 19th century that the legend of wondrous light started to spread and the wish to experience it turned the Netherlands into the destination of many artists. The German artist Joseph Beuys has claimed that the rare light disappeared in the mid-1950s, after the Zuyderzee (the Southern Sea) was blocked off from the North Sea. In the film, artists (e.g. James Turrell), art experts (e.g. Svetlana Alpers), and scientists (e.g. Gunther Konnen) from different countries take the provocative declaration seriously and discuss interesting questions. Does the Dutch light really differ from that in other parts of the world? Has it really had its impact on art and science? Has the essence of the light changed or has it lost its enchantment? Relying on wonderful photos and paintings, the experts take their time in answering these questions.

The authors of the film assert that, although there are many things we cannot prove, we can nevertheless watch, examine and discuss. In the course of one year, the authors return to the same places in the Netherlands with the aim of drawing the audience’s attention to amazing differences: depending on the weather, the skies may change several times a day in the Netherlands. Passing through many seasons in a few hours is not rare; in fact, the appearance of the landscape may change beyond all recognition. The film brims over with the magic of light and the attempt to touch the untouchable, shots of the world so familiar to artists in Normandy, once very peaceful, but now inexorably vanishing.

Introduction by Tiina Abel