cabinet Rutte

A new Dutch cabinet is installed today.  Tradition has it that a picture is taken with the queen. Tradition also has it that I make a drawing of the new cabinet,  which NRC Handelsblad publishes on the day that the cabinet is installed.

So here they are.  It is a minority government and the cabinet members show their balancing skills on the tight rope.  To the side stands a contented Geert Wilders, who can stay safely on the ground while the other parties take all the risks.   And he is ready to use his whip  if they dare to falter.

Today this drawing is published on the front page of NRC Handelsblad, a dream spot for any artist. 

Wanda Reisel

An attempt to catch the strong features of Dutch author Wanda Reisel in a few lines.  A simpel portrait, without particular references to her work. 

Menno ter Braak (1902 - 1940)

Interesting to reread Menno ter Braak  (1902-1940).  He was a leading intellectual, famous and feared for his literary reviews and  political analyses.  His condemnation of the upcoming national socialism was fierce.  

Many years ago I made a black-and-white portrait of the same man (see below), warning for the coming bad times.  

Shortlisted authors for the Libris Literatuur prijs 2010

A portrait of the short-listed authors for the Libris literature prize 2010:  Mensje van Keulen,  Marie Kessels, Peter Terrin, Walter van den Broeck, Bernard Dewulf en Tom Lanoye.  Berhard Dewulf won the € 50,000 prize.  It is always a interesting to bring different heads together within a predefined space on the page of the Vrij Nederland magazine.  Here I tried to bring some unity by fusing the contours and by sticking to five colours: alizarin crimson, aureolin, ceruleum, burnt umber, french ultra. 

PF Thomése

PF Thomése's latest novel De Weldoener (The Benefactor) describes the downfall of a composer in Haarlem. Beautiful book! I used his remarkable coiffure as the source of the falling notes.

Willem Drees Sr en Jr

The reputation of Willem Drees sr and jr is tainted by Martin Bosma who tries to make them allies for the cause of the PVV by quoting them very selectively. 

Yves Petry

Thoughts too dark to think, words too unspeakable to write are the stuff of Yves Petry's  fifth novel De Maagd Marino (The Virgin Marino).  The protagonists have made a deal:  one will castrate, kill and then eat the other.   And so it happens.