Dutch beach with pile heads - Watercolour by Hans Sturris painted around 1991
The beaches in Zeeland are unthinkable without these single or double rows of piles. These pile heads are breakwaters to prevent erosion of the beach or dunes.
On the North Sea coast of Walcheren and Schouwen, it is estimated that there are almost a hundred thousand of these Paalhoofden. Sometimes in a single row sometimes in a double.
We also see them on the Westerschelde, such as the Groot and Klein Paalhoofd near Bakendorp (Baarland), mentioned as early as 1890, or on the former inlet of the Veerse Meer. (Source www.zeeuwseankers.nl/verhaal/paalhoofden)
This watercolour is part of a series of paintings made around 1992. All works have the beach and dunes as their theme.
Hans lived in Egmond aan zee (the Netherlands) for several years. The beach and the North Sea were a great source of inspiration for him.
Galerie Ringoot is a homage to the work of the Belgian painter Pieter Ringoot (1921 - 2011) and the Dutch illustrator, writer and painter Hans Sturris.
This online art gallery shows a selection of the artists' work, consisting of oil paintings, watercolours, pen drawings, Sketches, ..
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