History

The annual presentation of the Jacob Hartog award was established in 1952 and founded by Jacob Hartog, the eldest sun of Hartog Hartog. After his death, Jacob Hartog Foundation was founded .

The purpose of the Jacob Hartog Foundation is to promote the practice of art and interest in art, especially of painting and sculpture and graphics. The promotion is done by the annual award of the Jacob Hartog award an artist, a member of the Pulchri Society in the Hague .

This price is indeed know by the Hague public and the artists of Pulchri, for whom price is an asset in their curriculum vitae and which includes a welcome reward (2500 euros) for an outstanding artistic achievement. Many artists will compete for the prize (about 150 entries each year).

THE HARTOGS OF THE PAINTERS SOCIETY PULCHRI

First published in Pulchri Journal 1 in 1975:

One name is in the list of donors to the restoration fund is deliberately not mentioned in the sixth issue of the second volume. On purpose, because he deserves a separate attention in the series of major donors, who recieved before the painter society Pulchri Studio silver jubilee medal and that is Harold Hartog, currently living in Hamburg. Thanks to his great gift Pulchri came a lot closer to the 100.000, the private contribution that the Society itself at least wanted to build for the restoration fund. Also Hartog the second contributed to Pulchri a warm heart.

It started with his father Jacob Hartog, who financially supported young artists before the Second World War and with Christmas knew how to surprise them culinary. At that time he was a loyal member of the society and a great friend of Mac Roest, Wibbo Hartman and Sierk Schröder. His work for the Society and its members, even in the time that Jacob Hartog later lived in New York, were honored by Pulchri appropriately. We read in the Annual Report 1951: “At the proposal of the Board, Mr. Jacob Hartog in New York was appointed an honorary member of the Society. Jacob Hartog, who was many years before the war member of society Pulchri Studio, had during that time and even after his departure to America so many proofs of his friendship for the society and his interest for the social position of the visual artist in general, that the board considered the time came to show our special gratitude and nominate him an honorary member of Pulchri.

This honorary membership did not mean for Jacob Hartog the end of his maecenaat for Pulchri. On the contrary, inspired by his former friends, he contributed to Pulchri, an amount, for which from 1952 onwards to this day for the famous annual Jacob Hartog Awards In the report of 1952 we read about: “starting from 1952, the annual award was given the by us the name of to the giver, the “Jacob Hartog Award”. The Jacob Hartog Prize consists of an first price of NLG 500, – and a second prize of NLG 250, – which each year will be awarded at the Spring Exhibition, selected by a jury to be formed annually. The jury will consist of a chairman (acting member of Pulchri Studio), two artists not residing in The Hague and two civilians. Following the work of the first jury which Wibbo Hartman acted as chairman, will serve each year the winner of last year as chairman. Originally Jacob Hartog price would be granted during the life of Mr. Hartog and additionally five years after his death. By a great gift of Mr. Hartog on the occasion of his golden wedding, however, it became possible that even after this date, this price can be continued. “In the same report of 1952 we read that for the first time, the first prize was awarded to Sierk Schröder for a portrait of Cornelis Veth and the second prize to Jan van Heel for his painting “Quiet image with a cock” in 1952. The jury consisted of: Wibbo Hartman, David Schulman, Jan Wiegers, Mac Roest and P. Oudshoorn.

What stands out are two things, firstly, the jury is composed in a different way today than stated in the 1952 annual report. When this ever is decided, we can not find out. It would be nice if once again the Hague citizens would get a voice in the matter. Secondly, not only the number of prizes, but also the amount of the price increased. That these prices are every year may be issued after the death of Jacob Hartog on December 4, 1962 is the great merit of his son Harold Hartog, as a generous giver for Pulchri, followed in the footsteps of his memorable father, whose memory was Pulchri honored with a bronze plaque manufactured by Dirk Bus in the long corridor of the building of the society, and true to the tradition of the Hartogs, Harold Hartog was one of the first to put a solid foundation under for the restoration fund.

This is mentioned with great gratitude.

Anton Boersma

Pulchri Journal 1, 1975