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On Friday 16 May, Mayken Jonkman will defend her PhD dissertation ‘Paris Calling: A Dutch Artists’ Guide to Success in the French Capital, 1774-1914’. In this dissertation, Jonkman explores the experiences of Dutch artists who went to Paris in the nineteenth century and found more success there than at home. How did Dutch artists, living and working in Paris – as strangers in a foreign environment – achieve success and recognition?

Success in the French capital

In the nineteenth century, hundreds of Dutch artists went to Paris in search of inspiration, training, and career opportunities. Several of them managed to become hugely successful. Travelling to Paris increased their chances of becoming successful compared to staying in the Netherlands.

It turns out that success – the positive reaction of others – was achieved when artists found an entrance into the French art world. Their work was visible, they invested in their French network, and had a deft adaptability. Once artists had achieved their initial success, they had to maintain their level of achievement, not only in their art, but also in maintaining and expanding their network.

Understanding the importance of nineteenth-century Paris

The nineteenth-century Parisian art world was a privileged environment that favoured middle- and upper-class Dutch male artists with money, connections, and a solid education, including art training and proficiency in the French language. Women, working-class men and artists from the Dutch colonies were much less likely to succeed.

Jonkman’s research is another building block in understanding the importance of nineteenth-century Paris. While success in the French capital may seem easy in hindsight, it was a precarious balancing act in which artists had to constantly recalibrate these factors to maintain and expand their position.