Several avant-garde artists departed from Amsterdam to Bergen at the beginning of the previous century, enticed by the magical sea light and each other’s company. Among them were painters such as Arnout Colnot, Dirk Filarski, Leo Gestel, and Matthieu Wiegman. While in Amsterdam, the studio of Leo Gestel, the famous Jan Steenzolder, served as a meeting point for artists, in Bergen, the home and later the Kunstzaal of collector and art patron Piet Boendermaker (1877 – 1947) became a significant hotspot. That same Kunstzaal would later become the studio of multitalented artist Lucebert: the Lucebert House, now an artist-in-residence. The studio home of Charley Toorop, De Vlerken, was also an important meeting place for artists; her evenings with friends were beautifully captured by her daughter-in-law and photographer Eva Besnyö. Her son, Edgar Fernhout, also chose to live in De Vlerken after the passing of his mother, drawn to the captivating nature and light in Bergen.
the book on Gestel his presence in bergen is now available at www.ftn-books.com
