Longing for Egmond – Stedelijk Museum Alkmaar, The Netherlands

In addition, the striking ruins of the once influential abbey and castle of the Counts of Holland were sources of inspiration for seventeenth-century artists such as Jacob van Ruisdael and Meindert Hobbema. At the end of the nineteenth century, the picturesque Egmond – actually consisting of three villages, Egmond aan Zee, Egmond-Binnen and Egmond aan den Hoef – was rediscovered. The American artists Gari Melchers and George Hitchcock settled among the local population in the unspoilt fishing village. In sparkling colours and with great detail, they captured the life and rituals of the population and the landscape. Both artists quickly achieved international success with these paintings. Nevertheless, hardly any works by these artists have been preserved in Europe.

In the summer of 2025, Stedelijk Museum Alkmaar will bring the seventeenth- and nineteenth-century performances back together in the region where they originated.

Practical information
The exhibition opens on 28 June 2025, at 11:00. The last day this exhibition can be viewed at Stedelijk Museum Alkmaar is 2 November 2025.