Willink van Collenprijs

Willink van Collenprijs (English: The Willink van Collen Award) is a former Dutch art award, which was awarded for the first time in 1880 by the Sociëteit Arti et Amicitiae. It was intended as an encouragement award for young artists, and was considered as a national counterpart to the Paris Salon. Its existence of more than 71 years proves the success of Amsterdam's art policy. For many of its winners, it was a valuable boost to their careers in the Dutch art world. Some of the prize winners were also recognized abroad and remain well known today.

During the "Second Golden Age of Dutch painting", the Dutch painters enjoyed considerable arts patronage from the upper class. This can also be seen in the context of the Hague School and the School of Allebé.

The Amsterdam-born painter Wilhem Ferdinand Willink van Collen (1847–1881) and his wife Anna Weber-van Bosse were great art lovers. After his death, he bequeathed a sum of 30,000 guilders to the society Arti et Amicitiae to set up a trust fund. The aim was to support young artists' income during their difficult initial phase. This also happened at painter's schools like Düsseldorf painter's School[a], Copenhagen School[b], Weimar Saxon-Grand Ducal Art School[c], the Munich School[d], Academy of Beaux-Arts to Paris[e], Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze[f] as well as the Barbizon School[g] and the new French Impressionism[h] to give a chance to the Dutch young generation, too.

The annual art exhibition of the Paris Salon was the most important event, too. It was the centre of the painters of Europe and it was very difficult to be allowed to exhibit there. The Five prizes awarded there were highly desired. It concerned two Gold Medals (medals of the 1st class) and three Silver Medals (medals of the 2nd class). Moreover, "Recognitions" and "Honorable Mentions" were pronounced. All this needed an answer in the Netherlands.

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