Willink van Collenprijs

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 [dubious – discuss].

[1] 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 board of Directors of the Association "Arti et Amiticitae" decided to hold an annual painting competition for all Dutch artists.

Instead of awarding the prize, the award money was spent on acquiring the painting "The Snow" by George Hendrik Breitner, a study trip for three Rijksacademie of Amsterdam students, and a small scholarship for Dutch artists living in London.

This must be seen in the contemporary social context, because the Willink van Collenprijs had become a national institution.

As a consequence, a petition to protest this practice was signed by 29 artists, including famous names like Hendrik Willem Mesdag, the brothers Jacob and Willem Maris, Paul Gabriël and Louis Apol.