So you want to get to know the De Ploeg better? I’d say that is a good idea. This Groningen art collective was founded exactly 100 years ago in 1918 and has left a clear mark on regional art history. But why is De Ploeg so important? And what kind of art did this collective actually make? This is ‘De Ploeg for Dummies’, the guide for the De Ploeg uninitiated.
YOUNG ARTISTS WERE STRUGGLING IN GRONINGEN
The well-known Groningen painters Jozef Israëls, H.W. Mesdag and Taco Mesdag were nowhere to be found in Groningen around 1900. They left to make a name for themselves elsewhere in the country. This is significant: in Groningen, young artists in particular were struggling. There were only a few art shops, and art buyers mostly looked to artists active outside of Groningen. The young artists there were able to attend a major Van Gogh exhibition organised in Groningen as early as 1894 (some four years after his death). In spite of the sad state of art in Groningen, they were still able to access and be inspired by contemporary art. For example, in 1904 there was another Van Gogh exhibition and in 1913, Pictura hosted a Wassily Kandinsky exhibition.
THAT'S HOW THE NAME CAME ABOUT
It was also Pictura that organised an exhibition of work by Groningen artists and amateurs in 1918. Groningen artists saw this as an opportunity to gain exposure amidst their difficult circumstances. A few participants in the exhibition, and some non-participants, came together later that year to found De Ploeg. The name comes from Jan Altink: he wanted to ‘harvest’ the Groningen art world by sowing the seeds (De Ploeg is Dutch for ‘the plough’).
WHY ERNST LUDWIG KIRCHNER WAS IMPORTANT
A sense of community soon manifested itself among De Ploeg. De Ploeg member Jan Wiegers suffered a lung ailment in 1920 and left for Switzerland with financial support from the collective. Here he met the famous artist Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, who inspired him and taught him all kinds of new techniques. When Wiegers recovered and returned to Groningen, he shared his enthusiasm and knowledge with the artists of De Ploeg, who then also began dedicating themselves to experimentation.
DE PLOEG WAS NOT JUST PAINTERS
Although De Ploeg was composed primarily of painters, other types of artists, such as architects and sculptors, were also welcome. People could even become ‘art-admiring members’ who supported the collective. However, member admission was subject to a vote. A separate jury was appointed for each exhibition as well, which sometimes resulted in heated discussions.
THESE WERE THE GLORY DAYS OF THE TEAM
A juryless exhibition in 1921 exposed the divide between ‘moderns’ and ‘non-moderns’. Due to lack of commissions, the De Ploeg residence was dissolved. Yet the years that follow are considered De Ploeg's heyday. As such, De Ploeg ushered in a wave of various collaborations and periodical publications. De Ploeg members constantly kept each other on their toes.
In 1926, discontent within De Ploeg over the course the moderns and non-moderns wanted to take came to a head. The board changed over, with the most progressive members taking the reins and organising an exhibition in Amsterdam. Membership dropped and De Ploeg’s focus shifted to expressionist, modern style from then on. De Ploeg has remained active for decades, organising exhibitions somewhat regularly.
ESSENTIAL DE PLOEG MEMBERS
De Ploeg was not a group that held one particular standpoint on art. Rather, it was a group of artists who encouraged each other and took advantage of the fact that they were together, allowing them to collectively obtain commissions and organise exhibitions. De Ploeg had many members who are now well-known to many Groningers such as Jan Wiegers, Jan Altink, Johan Dijkstra, Hendrik Werkman, George Martens, Jan Jordens, Jan van der Zee and Job Hansen.
NOT JUST GRONINGEN ARTISTS, BUT ALSO GRONINGEN LANDSCAPES
It was not until 1955 that the Groninger Museum began to actively collect works by living artists, and a De Ploeg collection was formed. It is particularly special that De Ploeg not only consisted of Groningen artists, but also painted many Groningen landscapes and city scenes. That is what makes De Ploeg so characteristic of Groningen, and in turn, why Groningen is so proud of them.
The exhibition Avant-garde in Groningen. De Ploeg 1918-1928 was on display at the Groninger Museum until 4 November 2018.
The information in this article is all thanks to the accompanying book: De Ploeg. Avant-garde in Groningen 1918-1928.