Longing for Egmond: Gari Melchers and George Hitchcock Their Years in the Netherlands

In the last quarter of the 19th century, the Netherlands was a popular travel destination for artists. The American artists Gari Melchers and George Hitchcock visited the country in the 1880s. In 1884, they settled in Egmond aan Zee, then little more than a small, isolated fishing village. There they painted the life of the people and the landscape. Melchers soon garnered international success with The Sermon, while Hitchcock caused a furore with A Tulip Field. The presence of Melchers and Hitchcock in Egmond exerted a great attraction on professionals. A large crowd of artists travelled to Egmond, especially after Hitchcock in 1891 started his summer courses, which attracted remarkably many female artists. Among the artists who worked there were James Jesuba Shannon, Henri Moret, Florence Upton and Letta Crapo Smith. Longing for Egmond offers an overview of the developments in the Egmond artist colony and the key role played by Hitchcock and Melchers fulfilled there. AUTHOR: Marjan van Heteren is a curator at the Stedelijk Museum Alkmaar. SELLING POINTS: . Two American artists in the Netherlands . 19th century paintings of the Dutch landscape with tulips and the Dutch life . Beautiful atmospheric paintings that give a nice view of the Netherlands in the 19th century . Published to accompany an exhibition in the Stedelijk Museum Alkmaar, the Netherlands, June 28 to November 2, 2025 100 colour illustrations