Inside the Museum

Escha van den Bogerd’s paintings blend artwork of the Old Masters with her contemporary aesthetic

- Escha van den Bogerd

Born the Netherlands my inspiration from the Old Masters was there from a young age. It started when I saw the beautiful light in the artwork of the Dutch Masters in the museums—particularly those in my hometown, The Hague, and in Amsterdam. Figuring out how to create that beautiful light and those compositions inspired me as I followed into the footsteps of these amazing artists. For about 20 years, I have painted the human figure with the light, the mood and the contrast of the modern world and taking the audience back in time to the dark ages of the art world. The two often combine with a twist and abstract backgrounds.

After years of being successful with my figurative work and female nudes, I thought it was time to step into the footsteps of the real artists and make the audience experience the feeling of being in a big art museum where they can marvel at the real painting without actually leaving the house. How would I do such a thing? By creating an audience that is actually watching the famous painting and making you believe you really are in The Louvre in Paris or the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.