Dora Hitz finds a voice for women in art in Eelde
Editors ·
Drents Museum De Buitenplaats presents nineteen works by the German painter from today. A scent tour and an installation of mirrors and artificial flowers connect her art with the visitor’s experience.
Dora Hitz is receiving her first solo exhibition in the Netherlands. Drents Museum De Buitenplaats opens the show today, 10 October; the nineteen works remain on view through 14 March 2027. Hitz lived from 1853 to 1924.
The selection includes paintings such as Poppies (Girl in a Poppy Field), 1891, Two Sisters, 1893, and Grape Harvest, around 1910. A monumental portrait of industrialist Walther Rathenau is described by the museum as a highlight.
Hitz worked in Paris and Romania and helped found the Berlin Secession with, among others, Max Liebermann. She also ran her own painting school in Berlin, where she trained young women artists.
The exhibition addresses her efforts to widen access to art education: Hitz initiated several petitions seeking admission for women to the Berlin art academy. The museum says they were repeatedly rejected.
A timeline traces her life, while mirrors, light and artificial flowers shape an installation in the galleries. It is inspired by Poppies. Frank Bloem of The Snifferroo developed a scent experience accompanying three paintings.
A scent tour runs on Sundays from 18 October through 14 March, 11:30 am to 12:30 pm. It costs €6, excluding museum admission. Visitors must buy a ticket online in advance; reserving a place is not possible.
De Buitenplaats is open Tuesday to Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm at Hoofdweg 76 in Eelde. Adult admission costs €15; visitors aged 17 and under and Museum Card holders enter free. Children aged 13 and under must be accompanied by an adult.