Kunstmuseum Den Haag Presents Its Latest Acquisition, " Martha, My Ouma" by Marlene Dumas

Kunstmuseum Den Haag proudly presents its latest acquisition: Martha, My Ouma from 1984 by Marlene Dumas (1953). The painting comes from the estate of Jan Maarten Boll and has been transferred to the state. Martha, My Ouma will have a permanent place at the museum. From April 22nd to November 19th, Kunstmuseum Den Haag will welcome the painting in an intimate collection presentation.

In the life of Marlene Dumas, there are multiple Marthas. Martha - My Ouma is painted from a photograph from 1970 of her grandmother 'Ouma Tottie'. The painting shows a portrait en face of an old woman, with half-closed eyes and strongly accentuated neck folds. The work is part of a series of three Marthas. In 1984, she also painted Martha - the servant and Martha - Sigmund's Wife.

With this new acquisition, Kunstmuseum Den Haag cherishes a modest but beautiful collection of works by Marlene Dumas, with an emphasis on the early works from the artist's oeuvre. The museum will show the works in relation to a number of poems by Dumas that she previously published in relation to her art. Especially for this exhibition, the painting Snow White + the broken arm from 1988 will temporarily leave its prominent place in the permanent collection presentation Discover the Modern.

The painting "Martha - My Ouma" by Marlene Dumas was part of the collection of Jan Maarten and Pauline Boll-Kruseman. Jan Maarten was an important supporter of museums in general and in particular of Kunstmuseum Den Haag as the chairman of the Vereniging Rembrandt. He played a crucial role in the acquisition for the Netherlands of Piet Mondrian's Victory Boogie Woogie (1942-1944), which was placed in Kunstmuseum Den Haag thanks to the state. Early in Marlene Dumas' career, he regularly acquired important paintings and works on paper by the artist, several of which ultimately found a place in the collections of the Rijksmuseum and Kunstmuseum Den Haag