Fotomuseum Den Haag Presents Major Eva Besnyö Retrospective 'The Liberated Camera'
Starting tomorrow and running until January 31, 2027, the Fotomuseum Den Haag will unveil a significant retrospective dedicated to photographer Eva Besnyö (1910–2003), named 'The Liberated Camera.' This exhibition chronicles her journey from Budapest to Berlin during the 1930s and her pivotal contribution to the 'New Photography' movement in the Netherlands. After receiving a camera from her father, Besnyö studied under József Pécsi before escaping Germany in 1932. In 2023, the museum expanded its collection of her works by acquiring 341 prints, thanks to the Erik-Bos-Fonds. The exhibition features key portraits, archival documents, and emphasizes her feminist activism and wartime experiences, with research support from the Rembrandt Society and various organizations.
Key facts
- Eva Besnyö (1910–2003) retrospective 'The Liberated Camera' opens at Fotomuseum Den Haag.
- Exhibition runs until January 31, 2027.
- The show is one of the largest retrospectives of Besnyö's work.
- It is drawn from the museum's own collection, the world's largest holding of her works.
- In 2023, the museum acquired 341 prints from Besnyö's daughter Iara Brusse.
- The acquisition was supported by the Erik-Bos-Fonds.
- Besnyö was born in Budapest and studied under József Pécsi.
- She moved to Berlin in 1930 and to the Netherlands in 1932 due to fascism.
- She was a key figure in the 'New Photography' movement in the Netherlands.
- The exhibition includes works like the portrait of a boy with a double bass and a Berlin cityscape.
- It also features a self-portrait by Charley Toorop and chairs by Gerrit Rietveld.
- The show covers her involvement with the feminist movement 'Dolle Minas'.
- Margriet Schavemaker is the general director of Kunstmuseum Den Haag and Fotomuseum Den Haag.
- The exhibition is accompanied by a publication titled 'Eva Besnyö: The Liberated Camera'.
Entities
Artists
- Eva Besnyö
- József Pécsi
- John Fernhout
- Charley Toorop
- Violette Cornelius
- Gerrit Rietveld
Institutions
- Fotomuseum Den Haag
- Kunstmuseum Den Haag
- Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam
- Erik-Bos-Fonds
- Vrienden Loterij
- Vereniging Vrienden van Kunstmuseum Den Haag
- V-Fonds
- Rembrandt Society
Locations
- Budapest
- Hungary
- Berlin
- Germany
- Netherlands
- The Hague
- Bergen
- Amsterdam
- Laren
- Starnberger Straße