Paintings in Oil

in the Tradition of Dutch and French Old Master Painters

I am Jolanda van Belzen. I work at creating still life and flower paintings, aiming to follow in the style of the French masters Jean Simeon Chardin and Henri Fantin-Latour. Another main inspiration is Vincent van Gogh, not so much his paintings but the seven hundred or so letters he wrote to his brother Theo.

Working on a still life with
the first edition of Van Gogh's Letters

It matters how a jug or a jar looks. A jug is not merely a container made to hold liquid, it is also a form, a shape which has every reason to be beautiful in addition to being functional. In my paintings I want to express my appreciation for beautiful shapes and for the colours and textures of traditional materials such as clay and glass and copper and wood and stone.

Often, when studying the form and colour of beautiful objects, I am awed by the craftsmanship of the artisans who made them. They add to the rich variety of shape and colour and usefulness in this world. I also appreciate that God gave us eyes so we can admire beauty to begin with.

Learning from others, from their mistakes but much more importantly, from their triumphs, is an inspiring and fulfilling activity. The painters I especially admire are the French masters Jean-Siméon Chardin and Henri Fantin-Latour, and from my native country Vincent van Gogh and the contemporary Henk Helmantel.

© 2008 Jolanda van Belzen