View of Maasvlakte europoort

At the bottom of this image the dark sea. At the top of this image the dark but also light clouds. Between sea and clouds it is all activity. Dutch activity. With cranes and chimneys emitting smoke. With tugboats sailing toward the viewer of this image. With huge ships loading and unloading. The sea and clouds are clear in this image. The activity is somewhat shrouded in mist. A haze of chimney smoke? Or a haze of evaporating moisture under the influence of a clogged sun?
For this work I was inspired by the 17th-century Dutch master Johannes Vermeer, especially his "View of Delft," one of his most famous paintings, on which you see the Schiedam Gate and the Rotterdam Gate.
The canal in Vermeer's painting had just been built in 1655, very modern at the time. Just as modern as our current Maasvlakte, with all its water-based activity.
The Maasvlakte is part of the port of Rotterdam, but 40 kilometers away from the city. It is a world unto itself, the Maasvlakte, with its ships, windmills, Europahaven, green Landtong Rozenburg and many, many workers.
The image I made combines the famous old painted Dutch faces on the water and modern society with its industrial activities.

This artwork is offered by Susan Hol

Since about 1974, I have been involved almost daily in photography, drawing (charcoal, graphite, conté, chalk, ink), painting, watercolour and/or collage making. In all these branches of visual work, I have tried a lot, found my own way, but also often had lessons from various professionals. In everything I make, I pay particular attention to form and colour, composition, shadow and light. Sometimes this makes the image very minimalistic, other times it is enormously rich. They are almost always small settings that tell a story. My approach in my work is: back to basics, the place of peace and quiet from which things grow and appear in daylight. I have been exhibiting occasionally since 1990. Would you like to know more about me? Then click on one of the green buttons below.

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