American kas, circa 1700, pine, tulipwood, paint. Van Cortlandt House Museum/The National Society of Colonial Dames in the State of New York.
:The Hudson River Museum is marking the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's voyage to the New World with the exhibition "Dutch New York: The Roots of Hudson Valley Culture," currently on view through January 10. The exhibition, three years in the making, is part of the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain-Quadricentennial celebration and follows the story of the waxing and waning of Dutch influence in America that began with Henry Hudson's voyage for the Dutch East India Company aboard the ship the
Half Moon
, in 1609, to the New World
The Dutch, from one of the smallest countries in Europe, established a trading empire that spanned the globe. The practicality, inclusiveness and entrepreneurial qualities of the Dutch were essential for the development of their Seventeenth Century colonial province, New Netherland, and are part of the founding DNA of America.
"Dutch New York" illustrates New York state and Westchester County's Dutch heritage at five key times: 1609 when the
Half Moon
entered New York Harbor; 1709, during a period when Dutch culture continued to thrive under English rule; 1809, when Washington Irving's stories began to romanticize New York's Dutch heritage; 1909, when the Hudson-Fulton celebration attempted to create a common Dutch past for a rapidly growing nation; and 2009, a significant Hudsonian anniversary at a time when the concept of historical "celebration" is increasingly debated.
Tile picture of a painting by Frans Hals, Dutch, circa 1900, by Joost Thooft & Labouchere, glazed tiles in a wood frame. Hudson River Museum, gift of Mrs Arthur W. Little.
The story is illustrated through a rich array of paintings, prints, photographs, furniture, decorative arts, maps and ephemera from the museum and other collections. Major lenders include the Museum of the City of New York, the National Gallery of Art, the New-York Historical Society, the Smithsonian Museum of American Art and Yale University Art Gallery.
The exhibition is accompanied by a lavishly illustrated publication,
Dutch New York: The Roots of Hudson Valley Culture
, co-published by the museum and Fordham University Press.
"Dutch New York: The Roots of Hudson Valley Culture" has been made possible, in part, through the support of the Office of the Westchester County Executive and the Westchester County Board of Legislators. This project is also supported by a grant from the New York Council for the Humanities.
Hudson River Museum is at 511 Warburton Avenue. For information, 914-963-4550 or
www.hrm.org
.
