Theory and practice: being in two minds? Richard Roland Holst as a community artist and the relation between his theories and his practice of stained glass making.

Abstract

This thesis explores the position of the artist and theoretic Richard Nicolaüs Roland Holst (1868-1938) in the Dutch artistic climate around 1900. Special attention is drawn to his writings on socially engaged monumental art, by which means his position as a community artist is adjusted. In order to make a comparison between his writings and artworks, two cycles of stained glass windows are discussed as well, namely the 7 windows at the Amsterdam Lyceum (made between 1920 and 1927) and the two windows for the Domkerk in Utrecht (1926 and 1936).