Profile

Welcome to my website!

For an extensive illustrated overview of my work, please see the essay Kloosterboer on Melchers that artist/writer Lorena Kloosterboer published at Medium.com in June 2020

When I was young I studied at the Rietveld Art Academy in Amsterdam, but I had to leave after only one year on account of  too many other obligations.
I have always tried to keep drawing and painting, although it wasn't easy to find any spare time being a single mother with full-time jobs at Iberia Airlines in Amsterdam and the Academic Medical Center (now Amsterdam UMC) respectively.  From 1994 I was able to work part-time  and in 2009 I could finish my work at the AMC and start painting full-time. Apart from the basic year at the Rietveld Academy and a few short courses, I am largely self-taught.
My work is realistic-figurative, with a strong preference for oil paint. Generally using bristle brushes the brush strokes  are often clearly visible. For all of my work in oil I use  the limited palette of Claude Monet, which are five colours besides the whites. I sometimes use a little ceruleum blue for the skies and some lemon yellow to brighten the whites when necessary.

All used reference photos are my own except the ones I used for the watercolours of male nudes that I had made in the Gulf of Mexico by a friend.

Alessandro Tomassetti

Artist (Barcelona/Spain)
"Artist Yvonne Melchers showcases her mastery of light and form in her sumptuously detailed paintings of subjects both intimate and universal. Whether painting a scene from her beloved North Sea Shore, the portrait of a strong but vulnerable young man dressed for the historical Siena Palio round, or the rumpled sheets and textures of a Venice hotel room, Melchers infuses each with a glow that speaks of the real and the ethereal. Precise technical skills join a rich historical palette and striking compositions in paintings that leave an indelible impression."

Themes

Through the years my main themes have been the Dutch North Sea coasts (series The North Sea) with their cool light and the warm Italian life in all it’s aspects (series Italian Scenes). The Rooms with a View are predominantly situated in Italy. Since 2013 I have been working on the series Siena Palio Portraits, which are portraits of modern Italian men and boys who – wearing wigs and historical costumes – take part in the Historical Procession, the Corteo Storico,  that precedes the Siena Palio,  the famous horse race that takes place twice a year. (More information about the Siena Palio can be found on www.ilpalio.org). Belonging to this I recently began a mini series,  The Children of Siena.   I have also made a small series of still lifes and every now and then I like to paint a commissioned portrait or other subject.  In the chapter Various you can find paintings that do not fit in any of the themes, like for instance flowers or animals. At the very beginning of my painting career I enjoyed painting Watercolours. From some works I had made so called Giclées in a limited edition, high quality fine art prints which are available through this website.

From 2001 to 2012 I have been working in The Netherlands and in Italy (Siena) alternately, and although this caused some restlesness, I found the contrast in daily life, light and colour inspiring and challenging. From April 2012 I have settled in The Netherlands permanently.

"The characters in the paintings of Yvonne Melchers, through their tri-dimensional veracity, the intense yet soft light that envelops their profiles, and the artist’s extreme accuracy to detail, seem to physically and emotionally emerge from the canvas. In her paintings of objects, nature and landscapes we are captivated by the atmosphere and perfumes which seem to emanate from the canvas and make us dream. Yvonne Melchers always embraces the soul of the location of her paintings, whether this is her homeland The Netherlands or her adoptive country Italy."

Fabrizio Tondi

Surgeon, author of novels and children’s books, presently Mayor of the town of Abbadia San Salvatore in Southern Tuscany and collector of her paintings.

Galleries and Museums

Museum Møhlmann

In 2013 I have been made a member of the Group of Contemporary Dutch Masters of realistic and figurative art that exhibit at the Museum Møhlmann in Appingedam (Northern Netherlands) a few times a year.

Galería ArteLibre

Invitation from this gallery in Zaragoza/Spain to participate in the exhibition celebrating the 20th anniversary “20 Años en 20×20” of this gallery in 2019. This traveling exhibition, in which 200 of the best contemporary realist painters in the world participate, consists of small works of 20×20 cm. and was held at Palazzo Bantierra in Zaragoza and  at the MEAM Museum in Barlona in 2019. In March 2020 a third exhibition was planned in  Palazzo Einaudi in Chivasso (Turin/Italy), but was postponed due to the Corona crisis and was held in December/January 2021/2022.

Other Galleries

Besides at the Museum Møhlmann my work is/was exhibited at Gallery Rijlaarsdam in Nieuwkoop, Gallery De Vreugd & Hendriks in Zandvoort, Gallery Lauswolt in Olterterp, Gallery Bonnard in Nuenen, Gallery Staphorsius in Westzaan, Gallery Montulet in The Hague and Gouda, Gallery Pictura in Aijen, Gallery Terbeek in Beetsterzwaag, Gallery Autrevue in Heerenveen, Gallery Het Moment in Zierikzee, all in the Netherlands, and at Galería ArteLibre in Zaragoza/Spain, Abend Gallery in Denver/Colorado and the Museum MEAM in Barcelona/Spain.
On Artsy.net and 1stDibs, the large and succesful virtual art websites,  some of my works are exhibited and for sale through Abend Gallery in Denver and 33Contemporary Gallery in Chicago.

 

Lorena Kloosterboer

Visual artist and writer in Antwerp/Belgium, about  "Rooms with a View" in her essay Kloosterboer on Melchers on Medium.com
"The intimate interior settings in Melchers’ series Rooms with a View are among her most successful and noteworthy. This series is inspired by Pieter de Hooch, the Dutch Golden Age artist famous for his paintings of quiet domestic scenes that show glimpses of everyday life through open doors or windows. While De Hooch was more interested in depicting people and their relationships to one another, Melchers seeks to convey a more enigmatic narrative through the objects and panoramas she portrays. Her rooms are always devoid of human figures, yet traces of their lives are there for us to see.
The staging of these settings is superb, giving the viewer a multitude of delightful details to revel in — the luxuriously draped and crumpled fabrics, the ornate objects, the comfortable furniture, the opulent patterns and colors, the glorious panoramas. Astute observers will recognize the geographic location of each room, as well as the time of day and the season — even rooms that at first glance don’t seem to offer a view, have one that can be discovered through careful observation.
Although Melchers’ rooms are composite scenes created in the artist’s eye and devoid of human figures, the objects and elements suggest a real-life narrative. Most show little hints of a solitary presence, while others suggest companionship. Yet despite the breathtaking locations and an exciting aura of wanderlust, there’s a poignant sense of melancholy and longing in these paintings — a bittersweetness that originates with departures, farewells, and absence… the intense nostalgia of love lived and lost"




International Competitions

BP Portrait Award

The portraits Siena Palio III (Istrice) and Siena Palio XI (Torre) from the series Siena Palio Portraits were semi-finalists in 2015 and in 2018 respectively in the prestigious  BP Portrait Award competition of the National Portrait Gallery in London.

Figurativas Museum MEAM Barcelona

The paintings The Shell Seekers/North Sea Blues and Dutch Delight III/North Sea Blues from the series The North Sea  were selected in 2017 and 2019 respectively as semi-finalists of Figurativas, one of the greatest international competitions for contemporary realistic/figurative art. The compatition is organized every two years by the Museo Europeo d’Art Modern (MEAM). The names and works of the semi-finalists are published in the accompanying catalogue.

ModPortrait Galería ArteLibre and Museum MEAM

The portraits Siena Palio V (Comune) and Siena Palio XVIII (Tartuca) were selected as semi-finalists of this important annual internation exhibition on contemporary portraiture in 2017 and 2020 respectively  The competition is organized by Galería ArteLibre in collaboration with the MEAM Museum in Barcelona. The names of the semifinalists of 2020 and an image of their work are featured in the special catalogue ModPortrait 2020.

Art Renewal Center (ARC)

In 2019 the portrait Siena Palio XIII (Nicchio) was finalist in the category Figurative  in the 14th International Salon Competition, the largest international competition on contemporary realism (almost 5000 submissions from 80 countries). This portrait was featured in the beautiful accompanying very heavy catalogue.

In 2020 the diptych Siena Palio XVI and XVII (Aquila) and the work Dutch Delight III/North Sea Blues became semi-finalists in the categories Portraiture and Figurative respectively. The names of the semi-finalists and the images of their works are featured on the website of the ARC

In 2022 the oil painting Anneke in Wassenaar/North Sea Blues was selected semi-finalist in the categorie Figurative of the 16th International Salon. The image of the work is on the ARC website.

Other competitions

The Dutch Portrait Award

In October 2016 two portraits of my series Siena Palio Portraits were selected and exhibited at the Weekend of the Portrait in Amsterdam, which was organized by the Dutch Portrait Award Foundation.

In 2017 a portrait of my series Siena Palio Portraits was selected as semi-finalist for the Dutch Portrait Award 2017.

In June 2019 my (commissioned) portrait Prof.Dr.M.J. Heineman and Amsterdam was nominated for The Dutch Portrait Award 2019. This portrait, together with 49 other nominations, was exhibited at the castle Slot Zeist from September 1st through November 17th, 2019.
This portrait was commissioned by the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of the Academic Medical Center (now Amsterdam UMC) for the portrait gallery of their department. It hangs alongside a portrait in oil paint of Prof. Van Bouwdijk Bastiaanse by artist Edgar Fernhaut and the portrait of Prof. Kloosterman by famous photographer Paul Huf,  to mention only a few. 

Summer Expo

The painting Room 32/Venetian Summer was selected for Summer Expo 2012 with the theme LOVE that took place at the Gemeente Museum (Municipal Museum) in The Hague.

Exhibitions and Publications

Please check the different chapters Exhibitions and Publications on this website.

Facebook

On Facebook I have a personal and an Art account. On my Art account you can follow me and learn about new work, recent news about exhibitions, publications, etc. and other general news about figurative/realistic art.
On Facebook I have been  made member of the artist groups PoetsArtists (USA), The Representational Art Group (USA), Grandmasters of Fine Art (GB), Master Painters and Sculptors (FR) and Italian Museum of Contemporary Art.

Instagram

Also on Instagram you can follow me to find out about recent work and other activities.

Artsy en 1stDibs

At Artsy you will find work of mine that is available online through the galeries  33Contemporary Chicago and Abend Gallery Denver At 1stDibs you will find work of mine that is available online through  Abend Gallery Denver.

Collections

My paintings have not only been sold in The Netherlands, but can also be found in collections in Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium, France, The United States and Australia.

June 2021

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