Golden Age

THE EXHIBITION

The Museum of Cycladic Art and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Greece present the exhibition Golden Age - Highlights of Dutch Graphic Design (1890-1990).
 The exhibition consists of an exceptional collection of more than 200 
original works, which is representative of the 19th and 20th centuries 
of Dutch Graphic Design history. The production of the exhibition is a 
result of the collaboration of Premsela, the Dutch Platform for Design 
and Fashion, and De Beyerd, the Dutch Museum of Graphic Design.|

Golden Age - Highlights of Dutch Graphic Design (1890-1990) presents the broad spectrum of a century of Dutch graphic design
 for the first time. All the era’s major styles are represented, 
including Art Nouveau, De Stijl, Expressionism, Constructivism and 
postwar Rationalism. The show is made up of posters and other works by 
noted designers such as Jan Toorop, Bart van der Leck, Piet Zwart, Paul Schuitema, Willem Sandberg, Jan Bons, Jan van Toorn and Wim Crouwel.
 The unique heritage of Dutch design serves as an important source of 
inspiration for the current generation of graphic designers.



The title ‘Golden Age’ of Dutch Graphic Design is trying to make a 
parallelism with the Dutch Golden Age of Rembrandt and Vermeer.



Common to both periods is the significance of progress and quality, 
but above all, the emphasis that was put on the notions of freedom and 
tolerance. Inspired, and possibly instructed, by an era of great 
development and at the same time catastrophe, the designers are looking 
for new ways of printed communication.



The exhibition Golden Age - Highlights of Dutch Graphic Design 
(1890-1990) is a result of the creative cooperation of its two curators,
 Cees W. de Jong and Alston W. Purvis, authors of the book Dutch Graphic
 Design: A Century of Innovation. The exhibition design is by COMA. 
Golden Age was made possible in part by the contribution from the HGIS 
Cultural Program, whose purpose is to strengthen international cultural 
relations. It was established by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
and the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.

CONTRIBUTORS

ORGANISATION Museum of Cycladic Art Embassy of Kingdom of the Netherlands premsela.org

PRODUCTION premsela.org MOTI