What do clogs, Delft Blue ceramics, De Stijl, and miffy* have in common? Undoubtedly, you recognise these traits as being typically Dutch. There is, however, another connection: these distinctly Dutch icons have found their way into dance images. I am eager to see how the modern Dutch artist weaves these quintessential Dutch characteristics with dance. And, of course, I wish to discover how the adorable rabbit miffy dances.

Let’s start with a cheerful painting depicting dancing figures clad in traditional Dutch attire by illustrator, graphic artist, and painter Johan Coenraad Braakensiek (1858-1940). The painting, while seeming to authentically depict a village scene, is in fact an amalgamation of traditional costumes from communities across the Dutch provinces. The smiling lady on the right, for example, is from Volendam. The woman sporting braided hair, peering around the black hat, hails from a charming village of Marken. The backdrop is equally varied. The green wooden houses are characteristic of Marken and Volendam: the large stone hall is more common in the southern regions.

Braakensiek displays a group of costumed individuals energetically performing a chain dance. Based on the two half-figures in the foreground, the dancers rotate in a circle, swapping partners with every hop or skip. The man wearing wooden clogs and fisherman’s trousers offers insight into the manner of dancing. Clogs are heavy, and they are worn without any fasteners, which inadvertently results in heavy, cumbersome movements. The artist provides no clues regarding how the women are dancing. Instead, many of them beam joyfully and direct their gaze directly at the viewer. Their heart-warming smiles invite the viewer’s participation, leading me to question whether this artwork showcasing various traditional outfits was initially created for a particular celebration or as a poster to attract tourists.

Willy Sluiter (1873–1949), an acclaimed painter, was also a prominent illustrator of posters, advertisements, and political prints. He had a fondness for Volendam. He adored the radiant light and the wonderful view of the Zuiderzee; above all, he loved the annual kermis. The twirling dancers, the fetching music, and the ample supply of liquor inspired Sluiter to sketch the many irresistible happenings. The Zuiderzeemuseum possesses two of Sluiter’s sketchbooks, both solely focused on the festivities during the Volendam kermis.

The dancing fisherman (above left) embodies the cheerfulness of the Volendam fair. This chucklesome character is portrayed in an exaggerated manner. His ludicrous grimace, which displays his teeth and accentuates his quirky eyes, reveals the extent of his overindulgence. At some point, he acquired two flowers, playfully fastened in his hair with pretty ribbons. The fisherman, portrayed larger than life, sways haphazardly along the pier. He can hardly maintain his balance.

Behind the fisherman, near a row of typical Dutch cottages, Sluiter introduces more dancers. These miniature figures, identifiable by their traditional Volendam attire, join hands in a line dance. Their exuberance is just as vibrant as the dancing figures in the pastel drawing Kermis in Volendam. At this congenial dance event, villagers watch a whirling pair dance. Sluiter demonstrates the spinning action through a series of barely distinguishable curved lines on the floor design. Furthermore, the gently curved vertical stripes on the woman’s skirt suggest rotary motion. The artist limits the colour palette to a few hues. Blue plays a significant yet subtle role: a blue haze lingers over the artwork conveying the impression of a transparent veil.

In another work by Sluiters, Kermis in Spaander, the artist presents merrymakers celebrating at the Hotel Spaander, a well-known local establishment. Volendam was an artistic colony. Hotel Spaander was an artistic home for many national and international artists. Some artists stayed for a few weeks; others returned year after year. Pissarro, Renoir, Signac, and Henry van de Velde were among the many artists who visited Hotel Spaander. The hotel has recently closed down, but for over a century artists were welcome, often paying their bills with artwork. Many of their artworks embellished the hotel walls.

Kermis in Spaander captures the exuberant ambience of the Volendam fair. All the women sport white caps, and the fishermen wear their traditional wide trousers and black jackets. In the painting Dancing Fisherman, Sluiter uses bright colours and clearly defined lines. In contrast, in Kermis in Spaander, the artist applies thick brushstrokes complemented by subdued tones; only the green and blue hues of the stage area create a significant difference. Equally striking are the white caps that glow under the electric lights. Sluiter’s merrymakers talk, play, and dance. Most of the guests are high-spirited. This is especially true for the dancing fisherman with raised arms and flexed knees. His uninhibited solo performance cannot escape our attention.

What can be more typically Dutch than Delft Blue ceramics? Delft blue ceramics are common all throughout the Netherlands and are popular merchandise available in any tourist shop. Delft blue, however, is not originally of Dutch making. Time for a little explanation. In the 17th century, war in China interrupted the production and export of Chinese porcelain. The potters in Delft, filling the void, developed an earthenware imitation of Chinese porcelain. Initially, Chinese motifs and decorations prevailed, but soon the Delft pottery painters designed images of traditional Dutch scenes. Early tiles feature folk scenes, drinking scenes, children playing, festivities, and dancing.

A unique example of applied art is the Delft Blue ceramic violin shown below. The violin, which was produced around 1705–10, is now in the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The ceramic violin is a delicately crafted artwork that initially held an esteemed position in the home of its wealthy owner. The decorative image depicts affluent, elite individuals engaging in drinking, talking, and dancing. The setting is a grand hall complete with a gallery occupied by two musicians; one plays the violin and the other plays the double bass. The floor space is reserved for the wealthy, where a distinguished pair is performing an elegant social dance. The anonymous artist captures the essence of the dance style as performed in the era of the Dutch Republic. The dancers’ torsos are well poised, the arm actions are restrained, and the leg movements are confined to gently raising the lower leg in combination with gradual undulations of the supporting leg.

Pim Stallmann (1947) revisited traditional Delft craftsmanship in his Argentine Tango collection. Stallman is an enthusiastic tango dancer. He has painted an entire series of artworks celebrating the powerful Argentine dance. Notable is that all his dancers lack facial features. Their ardent emotions are expressed by their proximity and passionate body language. Every tango-dancing pair is set in a unique, frequently unconventional environment. Delft Tango 5 positions the tango dancers in front of a wall adorned with Delft blue tiles. The couple is eye-catching, as is the background. Take a moment to cast your eye on the blue tiles. In addition to accurately replicating historical tiles, Stallmann cleverly incorporates three seemingly ‘genuine’ tiles. Each depicts present-day tango dancers, all in perfect Delft blue hues.

The moment has come to discover miffy’s dancing skills. Miffy today is an international celebrity, but once upon a time nijntje, as miffy is named in the Netherlands, was a genuinely Dutch bunny. Dick Bruna (1927 – 2017), the creator of miffy, tells the delightful tale, that during a family holiday, he and his children saw a rabbit frolicking in the dunes. The rabbit’s escapades transformed into a bedtime story. This sparked his imagination. Bruna, author, illustrator, and graphic artist, put pen to paper and soon designed the iconic miffy.

Bruna reduced the pictorial elements to the basic essentials. The ‘rabbit’ in miffy was streamlined until the artist settled on a basic line shape containing all the elements that make a rabbit recognisable and endearing to children. Miffy always looks at her reader. The eyes, and the little cross representing the nose, are constant elements. The simplicity with which Bruna rendered miffy echoes her dancing skills. Miffy is a gentle dancer, and her moves are restricted to swaying, turning, standing on one leg and waving her arms. Miffy has also become an animated figure; films on the internet show her dancing with her friends.

Bruna’s style is minimalistic. He was fascinated by Henri Matisse’s cutouts, Ferdinand Leger’s cubism and the work of De Stijl, an innovative group of Dutch artists. The illustration below shows Piet Mondrian, one of the leading figures in De Stijl, dancing on his iconic grid. Bruna admired and found inspiration in the manner in which De Stijl artists used flat shapes, clear lines, and primary hues. In his own work, Bruna also incorporated the curved line and added green to his palette.

A note on the ‘dancing Mondrian’; dance and music were essential to Mondrian’s work. He loved ragtime, was a great jazz enthusiast, collected jazz records, and, according to insiders, played his favourite numbers as he painted. Mondrian was a dancer; he had rhythm and danced the latest social dances at every opportunity.

Dutch icons, I discovered, are a regular feature in the art of the Netherlands. They may serve a decorative purpose or convey feelings. Icons are also a valuable merchandising item. Miffy, for example, truly dances around the world. Her wardrobe must meet the occasion. The illustration below features this small Dutch rabbit modelling a Cardin “gown” inspired by Mondrian. Perhaps she is getting ready to go out dancing.

_{* Dick Bruna never used capital letters in his miffy books. Names are always written in the lowercase. Therefore, throughout this text the name miffy, following Bruna’s instructions, is written in the lowercase.}