Toespraak van minister Van Engelshoven bij De Ateliers in Amsterdam, op 24 mei 2019

Toespraak | 24-05-2019

Dear friends,
 

Painter Paolo Veronese was asked to explain himself, some 450 years ago.

The year was 1573, and he had painted an interpretation of The Last Supper which – to say the least – raised a few questions among the Inquisition.

The might of the Catholic church was behind those questions – it was a time when works of art were often censored.

The extravagant Last Supper that Veronese painted failed to bring a smile to the inquisitor’s face.

On the contrary.

Veronese was summoned for an interrogation.

He had dared to colour outside the lines of what was acceptable, and so his work was questioned down to the last brushstroke. Why had he painted what he had painted?

What were those drunkards, Germans and dwarfs doing in a dramatic scene from the Bible?

After a number of questions about his choices, Veronese said: “I paint my pictures with all the considerations which are natural to my intelligence, and as my intelligence understands them.”

His answer was not good enough.

He was ordered to apologize and make changes to his painting within three months.

This he did.

But not as the Inquisition expected.

All the elements that were considered “unfitting” remained intact.

He simply changed the title of his painting to ‘The Feast in the House of Levi’.

Dear friends,
 

Some 450 years have passed since then, and some of you have reached the end of your time at De Ateliers.

Another group of students is rounding off a period in which their imagination had all the freedom it needed to flourish.

I hope that you will look back with satisfaction on your time here – and with the feeling that you have made the most of this opportunity.

That – to paraphrase the words of Veronese – you have been able to work without compromise and to be true to your talents.

In preparation for today, Veronese’s story occurred to me because it is more timeless than it may seem.

The questions that affected the world of the artist hundreds of years ago have their counterparts in 2019.

And essentially, today’s questions do not differ all that much from the questions of the past.

Practicing art still makes you vulnerable.

Art and society are still intertwined.

And many artists still have a long, hard search to find a stable income ... even though my Ministry and the sector are working hard to improve the situation.

And yet...

One clear difference from hundreds of years ago is that now art can exist for the sake of art.

There are now many places where creative minds are free to decide what form their art should take… although this certainly does not apply everywhere!

However, in the free parts of our world, artists benefit from centuries of emancipation.

A lesson that is deeply felt and lived here at De Ateliers.

Here international talent is given full scope to develop, supported by those who have already made a name for themselves in the visual arts.

Many of you – artists, teachers, gallery owners, museum professionals – have often heard me emphasize the importance of giving talent that one last push.

On the way to a breakthrough, a new audience or a new discovery among the endless possibilities of art.

And De Ateliers does not stand alone.

We have a unique situation here in the Netherlands, with five postgraduate institutions in the arts.

And I am delighted to see them finding ways to work together more intensively.

Dear friends,
 

Enjoy this moment.

A unique period in your careers – and in your lives – is coming to a close. You carry with you an experience that you will never forget, an experience that is the envy of many of your colleagues in the art world.

I sincerely hope that, from today, you will choose a new path that suits you well.
 

Never forget Veronese, when making your own creative choices.

Enrich our lives. Bring colour to society.

Help us see the world through different eyes – and understand it better.

Thank you.