Guard at the Kunstmuseum

Oil on board 50 x 50cm

On a trip to Den Haag I visited the fine Kunstmuseum. At the time they were featuring a mesmerizing exhibit including paintings and prints by the early 20th-century Belgian artist Leon Spillaert along with photographs by a compatriot, the contemporary photographer, Dirk Braekman. Displaying these two artists together was brilliant. Both evoke dream-like, dark landscapes, usually of the night. I often try to paint the night and am inspired by these guys. The painting I’ve depicted in my homage is a Spillaert cityscape. The painting was highlit in the museum. I’ve added a glow around the man, who merits at least the same amount of mystery and worth as the famous painting he guards.