Haagse Kunstkring: then & now

In the anniversary edition to mark the 100th anniversary of the Haagse Kunstkring in 1991, Peter Berger wrote a striking portrait of The Hague and its artists. With a keen eye for detail and a deep sense of melancholy, Berger outlines in Anatomy of the Haagse Kunstkring not only the character of the city, but also the role of the Haagse Kunstkring as a breeding ground for creativity and inspiration.

The HKK, meeting place for writers, painters, musicians and other artists, plays an almost mythical role in Berger’s story. It is the place where the soul of The Hague is expressed: refined, wistful and always in motion. In his story, Berger takes you along the stately avenues, atmospheric cafes and artistic circles of The Hague, where such great names as Louis Couperus, Willem Kloos and Jacques Bloem set the tone.

With a sense of the spirit of the times, Berger manages to capture The Hague’s unique combination of grandeur and transience. Anatomy of The Hague melancholy is an ode to the city and the artists who made it, but also to the Haagse Kunstkring itself: an indispensable pivot in the cultural life of The Hague. The story shows how art and literature bring the city to life and how the Kunstkring always provided a home for the Haagse Kunstkring’s bohemians.

An extraordinary and vitriolic story, experience how The Hague, its artists and the Haagse Kunstkring come together in a compelling portrait of art and melancholy: