Jacoba van Heemskerck , Dutch Abstract Pioneer in Expressionism and Theosophy. A trailblazing woman who transformed landscapes into sacred compositions of color, form, and spirituality.

A Life Guided by Spirit and Color

Jacoba Berendina van Heemskerck van Beest was Born in The Hague on April 1, 1876. She came from a naval family. Her father, Jacob Eduard, painted seascapes, giving her early artistic grounding. She formalized her studies at The Hague’s Royal Academy of Visual Arts (1897–1901), then trained under Ferdinand Hart Nibbrig, and even spent several months in Paris with the Symbolist painter Eugène Carrière.

The seeds of her spiritual abstraction were planted when she joined the Theosophical Society and discovered Anthroposophy through Hart Nibbrig. Influenced further by Piet Mondriaan and Jan Toorop in her beloved Domburg summer retreats, and connected later to Berlin’s Der Sturm expressionist circle, she evolved from Luminism and Cubism into a deeply symbolic, spiritual abstraction.

“These simple motifs—from woodlands to sailboats—are transformed into powerful visions of spiritual reality,” wrote her patron Marie Tak van Poortvliet about Composition No. 23

Her Style: Nature Distilled into the Spiritual

Van Heemskerck’s early works, such as Kiefernwald (“Pine Forest,” c. 1908–10), capture Luminist splendor: short, rhythmic brush strokes in vibrant hues create an atmospheric tableau of sacred woods

By 1913, as in Wald I & II (1913), her art adopted Cubist fragmentation and spiritual symbolism: tree forms are broken into crystalline planes outlined starkly in black . This painterly evolution coincided with her entry into Der Sturm’s Berlin expressionist milieu.

Later still, her Composition No. 23 (1915) blends organic and geometric forms—boats, trees wreathed in rhythmic shapes—expressing her inner visions through bold, spiritual abstraction

Quote to Remember

“I seek not to depict a scene, but to unveil its soul.”
– Jacoba van Heemskerck (paraphrased from artist’s writings on her abstract aims)

Most Famous Works & Where to See Them

1. Kiefernwald (Pine Forest, c. 1908–10)
   Kunstmuseum Den Haag
   A landmark Luminist piece with expressive brushwork and sacred forest imagery

1. Zwei Bäume (Two Trees, c. 1908–10)
   Kunstmuseum Den Haag
   The most celebrated example of Amsterdam Luminism—trees arch dramatically against pastel skies .

1. **Wald I & II** (Forest I & II, 1913)
   Kunstmuseum Den Haag
   Neo-Cubist spiritual landscapes reflecting seasonal and emotional rhythms

1. **Composition No. 23** (1915)
   Gemeentemuseum Den Haag
   Abstracted trees and boats blend into vibrant, spiritual geometry

1. **Composition (Fjord)** (c. 1916)
   The Metropolitan Museum of Art (open access, public domain)
   An atmospheric, near-abstract woodcut rendered in ink and pencil—signed, gently abstract

1. ** (Boten in een haven)** (1916)
   Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
   A rhythmic harbour scene with stylized boats in abstracted motion

1. **Bild Nr. 86** (1918)
   Museum Singer Laren
   Expressionist abstraction in vibrant color blocks with spiritual resonance

Anecdotes & Fun Facts

• A woman’s place was neither here nor there: Van Heemskerck secretly financed her studio, built by Tak van Poortvliet in 1912 after they became lifelong companions, an unconventional partnership for the time
• Berlin’s favorite Dutchwoman: Between 1913–23, she exhibited annually with Der Sturm gallery in Germany, an extraordinary acclaim rarely afforded to women artists
• From canvas to cathedral glass: Later in life, she designed stained-glass windows for Amsterdam’s naval barracks and municipal buildings, seeing them as a culmination of her quest to unite color, light, and spirit
• A tragic end unseen: She died suddenly on August 2, 1923, in Domburg, from angina. Posthumous exhibitions in Amsterdam and Berlin preserved her artistic legacy

Rediscovery and Legacy

Once nearly forgotten, Jacoba’s legacy was revived in 2005 by a major survey at the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag. It included restored stained-glass works, affirming her place alongside modernist greats while reclaiming her unique spiritual vision.

Today, art historians celebrate her as a Dutch Expressionist rooted in spiritual abstraction, parallel to, yet distinct from, male contemporaries such as Mondrian or Kandinsky. Her work is a testament to spiritual modernism and a legacy of female creative independence.

Conclusion: The Quiet Fire of Inspiration

Jacoba van Heemskerck reminds us that men in studios didn’t just shape modernism; it was also carried by women whose vision transcended convention and gender. She gave her art wings, inviting it to soar beyond literal landscapes into realms of light, spirit, and abstraction. In doing so, she left behind compositions that continue to resonate with inspiration.

Coming up next: Georgette Agutte: France’s Fearless Fauvist and Sculptor.

References (Public Domain / Copyright-Free Sources):

• Wikipedia – Jacoba van Heemskerck de.wikipedia.org+7en.wikipedia.org+7christies.com+7
• Gemeentemuseum Den Haag – artist biography & exhibitions
• “Kiefernwald” & “Zwei Bäume” – Kunstmuseum Den Haag collection commons.wikimedia.org+2de.wikipedia.org+2de.wikipedia.org+2
• “Composition No. 23” – Google Arts & Culture (comprehensive analysis) artsandculture.google.com
• “Composition (Fjord)” – Metropolitan Museum of Art (open access) metmuseum.org+1commons.wikimedia.org+1
• “Compositie (Boten in een haven)” – Rijksmuseum Amsterdam rijksmuseum.nl
• “Wald I & II” – Kunstmuseum Den Haag de.wikipedia.org+1commons.wikimedia.org+1
• “Bild Nr. 86” – Museum Singer Laren de.wikipedia.org+2de.wikipedia.org+2de.wikipedia.org+2