Marcelle Hanselaar
Series
Works
Exhibitions
Biography
Represented by Julian Page since 2011, Marcelle Hanselaar (b. 1945) is a Dutch-born, London-based artist acclaimed for her emotionally incisive paintings and prints that explore human psychology, violence, vulnerability, and the fragile boundaries between public and private worlds. Hanselaar trained at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague but found her artistic voice through self-directed experimentation, developing a figurative style that combines expressive brushwork with sharp observational acuity.
Her etchings, particularly the celebrated series *The Crying Game* (2005–), confront themes of conflict, trauma, and spectatorship, blending allegory with documentary impulse. These works reveal both the brutality and tenderness of human experience, often depicting figures caught in moments of exposure, transformation, or existential intensity. Hanselaar draws inspiration from artists such as Goya, Käthe Kollwitz, and Paula Rego, whose moral and narrative gravity resonates throughout her oeuvre.
She has exhibited at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, Flowers Gallery, and internationally across Europe and the United States. Her works are held in the British Museum, the V&A, the Ashmolean Museum, and the Fitzwilliam Museum. Through a combination of painterly immediacy and printmaking precision, Hanselaar continues to craft a body of work that confronts difficult truths with courage, empathy, and dark wit.
Her etchings, particularly the celebrated series *The Crying Game* (2005–), confront themes of conflict, trauma, and spectatorship, blending allegory with documentary impulse. These works reveal both the brutality and tenderness of human experience, often depicting figures caught in moments of exposure, transformation, or existential intensity. Hanselaar draws inspiration from artists such as Goya, Käthe Kollwitz, and Paula Rego, whose moral and narrative gravity resonates throughout her oeuvre.
She has exhibited at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, Flowers Gallery, and internationally across Europe and the United States. Her works are held in the British Museum, the V&A, the Ashmolean Museum, and the Fitzwilliam Museum. Through a combination of painterly immediacy and printmaking precision, Hanselaar continues to craft a body of work that confronts difficult truths with courage, empathy, and dark wit.
Publications
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Rebel Women from the Apocrypha- Marcelle Hanselaar
A suite of 15 etchings with Aquatint Marcelle Hanselaar, 2023 Read more -
The Crying Game - Marcelle Hanselaar
A suite of 30 Etchings Marcelle Hanselaar & Julian Page & Laura Gascoigne, 2017Paperback, 66 pagesRead more
Publisher: Julian Page
ISBN: 978-0-9570124-2-4
Events
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London Art Fair 2026, January 20 - 25
20 - 25 Jan 2026Stand 39, Mezzanine London Art Fair, January 20 - 25 Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street, London, N1 0QH I am delighted to be exhibiting...Read more -
London Original Print Fair 2025, March 20 - 23
16 - 24 Mar 2025Booth W7 London Original Print Fair Somerset House, London, WC2R 1LA 19 March: Private View (by invitation only) 20 – 23 March: Open to the...Read more -
London Art Fair 2025, January 21 - 26
Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street, London, N1 0QH 21 - 26 Jan 2025London Art Fair, January 21 - 26 Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street, London, N1 0QH I am delighted to be exhibiting again at the...Read more -
Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair 2024
20 - 24 Nov 2024Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair November 21 - 24 (PV November 20) Woolwich Works , The Fireworks Factory, 11 No. 1 Street, London, SE18 6HD I...Read more -
British Art Fair 2024
September 26-29: Saatchi Gallery, London 26 - 29 Sep 2024Saatchi Gallery, Kings Road, London, SW3 4RY I am delighted to be exhibiting again at the British Art Fair, on the same stand (21 )...Read more -
London Original Print Fair 2024, March 21 - 24
21 - 24 Mar 2024London Original Print Fair, March 21 - 24 Stand W7, West Wing, Somerset House , Strand, London, WC2R 1LA I am delighted to be exhibiting...Read more -
Extended: Present - Past at Brun Fine Art
February 1 - 29 by appointment only 1 - 29 Feb 2024Present - Past at Brun Fine Art 38 Old Bond St, London W1S 4QW Nox extended, with some new artworks on display. February 1-29 by...Read more -
London Art Fair 2024
17 - 21 Jan 2024I am delighted to be back exhibiting at the 2024 London Art Fair . 'We believe that great art provides a lens to see the...Read more -
Present - Past, Group Show at Brun Fine Art London
9 - 26 Jan 2024Present - Past at Brun Fine Art 38 Old Bond St, London W1S 4QW December 6 – 22; January 9 - 26 Tuesday to Friday,...Read more -
Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair 2023
Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair, Woolwich Works, The Fireworks Factory, No. 1 St, London, SE18 6HD 26 - 29 Oct 2023I am delighted to be exhibiting at the Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair 2023, showing works by: Marcelle Hanselaar Kate McCrickard Alexander Massouras Bridget Riley James...Read more -
British Art Fair 2023
British Art Fair, Saatchi Gallery, Kings Road, London, SW3 4RY 28 Sep - 1 Oct 2023British Art Fair, September 28 - October 1 Saatchi Gallery, Kings Road, London, SW3 4RY I am delighted to be exhibiting again at the British...Read more -
London Art Fair 2023
17 - 22 Jan 2023I am delighted to be back exhibiting at the 2022 London Art Fair . 'We believe that great art provides a lens to see the...Read more -
Bearing Witness? Violence and Trauma on Paper, featuring Marcelle Hanselaar
Groups show at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, centred around The Crying Game Series by Marcelle Hanselaar 10 Jan - 2 Apr 2023At last I can announce this much delayed upcoming exhibition at The Fitzwilliam , based around Marcelle Hanselaar's The Crying Game series. 'The display showcases...Read more -
British Art Fair 2022
British Art Fair, Saatchi Gallery, Sep 29 - Oct 2 29 Sep - 2 Oct 2022I am delighted to be exhibiting for the first time at the British Art Fair at the Saatchi Gallery this September/October. I will be on...Read more -
London Original Print Fair 2022
W6, West Wing, Somerset House 26 - 29 May 2022I am delighted to be exhibiting at the 37th edition of the London Original Print Fair in its new location at Somerset House . I...Read more -
London Art Fair 2022
21 - 24 Apr 2022I am delighted to be back exhibiting at the 2022 London Art Fair . 'We believe that great art provides a lens to see the...Read more -
Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair 2021
Art Fair, November 11-14, 2021 11 - 14 Nov 2021I am delighted to be exhibiting at the 2021 Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair . I will be showing artwork by Victoria Burge, Marcelle Hanselaar, Kate...Read more -
Marcelle Hanselaar solo show at Museum de reede
5 Nov 2021 - 7 Feb 2022Marcelle's first institutional solo show opens in Antwerp on 5th November 2021 at the Museum de Reede and runs until 7 February 2022. The extensive...Read more -
E/AB Art Fair 2021 Online
18 - 31 Oct 2021I am delighted to be taking part in E/AB Art Fair for the first time this year. E/AB Fair 2021 will take place fully online,...Read more -
Marcelle Hanselaar Video Interview
7 Sep 2021I recently interviewed Marcelle in her studio for her upcoming solo show at Museum de Reede, Antwerp. You can view the video HERERead more -
Prints & Fairy Tales: Austin / Desmond Fine Art & Julian Page, May 11-21
11 - 21 May 2021We will be extending our current exhibition Prints and Fairy Tales until 21 May. Curated in partnership with Austin Desmond, the show features a selection...Read more
