Today, April 30th, we celebrate Queen Beatrix’ birthday. On Queen’s Day, many Dutch people dress up in orange (after the surname of the Dutch royal family) and go out on the street to party and drink. Everywhere in the Netherlands you will find a variety of noisy festivities.
This colorful painting from circa 1890 proves that things were not so different in the nineteenth century. It describes an Orange Feast, but then on April 13, 1887, in honor of Beatrix’ great-grandfather William III. Jacobus van Looy witnessed the festivities in Amsterdam, and later incorporated his impressions and sketches into this picture.
Van Looy (1855-1930) was a Haarlem artist and author who was highly influenced by the French Naturalists. Naturalism pursued an immediate view of reality, unhindered by idealism or moral judgment. Sensory input played an essential role, rather than rational thought.
The powerful scene, painted on a rather large canvas, evokes a sense of being there and experiencing the sounds and smells of the wild celebration. It shows a turbulent crowd that runs and dances through the streets of the Dutch capital. Their expressive faces, bizarre costumes and their frenzy, doubtlessly stimulated by excessive drinking, altogether create an alienating atmosphere.
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