Realism in Amsterdam

Amsterdam is indeed a great place for art lovers. Especially for those who have a great 'appetite' for avant-garde art which is spread mainly in Northern European countries. Dutch artists are well known worldwide since the Renaissance, and they managed to keep their reputation by creating a movement in the 20th century called 'magic realism'. The movement contributed widely in the history of art by adding to the world art gallery important figurative depicting scenes in a scenery that was both fantastic and mysterious.

To keep their heritage, modern Dutch artists and Amsterdam art galleries gather in a yearly fair that has been formally there since the year 2003 in Amsterdam. Every year at the middle of January the Realisme (Realism) art fair in Amsterdam is held and dedicated to the figurative art.

During this event, 30 important galleries from the Netherlands and also from the nearby Belgium show their collections of realistic art. Some free lectures are also being given in Dutch about realism and its impact in modern art. The fun thing is, if you are an ordinary visitor you can express yourself by painting! The organization of the fair gives a chance for all visitors to draw and paint in a realistic way!

Also, for each opening of the fair in Amsterdam there's a medal waiting for an artist! The jury selects one figurative artist each year to give him/her 'the medal of Ms. Sacha Tanja' who led for many years an important figurative art collection.