The Dutch Portrait Prize 2021. Exhibition of 50 nominated Dutch portrait artworks

[By Irma Heuven]

Exhibition of 50 nominated Dutch portrait artworks. From 24 June to 26 September, all 50 nominated portrait artworks can be seen during an exhibition ‘The Portrait’ in the beautiful Castle of  Zeist  in The Netherlands.

The Dutch Portrait Prize Foundation (DNP) will present the Dutch Portrait Prize on Thursday 24 June in the Castle of  Zeist. A record number of 1,416 portrait drawings, paintings and sculptures by well-known artists and new talents will be submitted for the third edition of the biennial award. An expert jury led by art historian Rudi Ekkart has selected the fifty best portraits and chosen the winner. In addition to the 2D and 3D Portrait Prize, the audience favorite and Young Talent will be rewarded. 

With the competition initiative, the DNP Foundation shows the diversity and quality of contemporary Dutch portraiture. In addition, the foundation wants to use the prize to stimulate development in portrait painting and sculpting. The winners will receive a cash prize of up to €5,000 and they will have the opportunity to make a portrait of him/her on behalf of a Dutch celebrity  – who will be announced later.

Selfie Portrait Prize

There is also a Selfie Portrait Prize for students. To encourage young people to develop themselves creatively, the DNP Foundation has been organizing the Selfie Portrait Prize since last year. Students between the ages of 12 and 18 can submit a self-portrait in all 2D and 3D techniques (with the exception of a raw smartphone selfie). Three finalists will win a cash prize of up to €250 and a Museum Youth Card.

The judges

The jury of the Dutch Portrait Prize 2021 consists of an experienced group of art historians, art connoisseurs, and artists, including Rudi Ekkart (art historian/researcher and publicist), Irma Braat (artist and winner of the Dutch Portrait Prize 2017), Tonko Grever (chairman of Overleg van Amsterdam Museums and former director of Museum van Loon), Harriet Stoop (art historian), Louk Tilanus (art historian and former lecturer at Leiden University), Francien Valk (artist) and Wieteke van Zeil (art historian and cultural critic).

Download here the names of the  50 nominated portrait artists.