Perhaps you’ve heard of the Dutch Golden Age painters Rembrandt van Rijn, Frans Hals, Johannes Vermeer, and Vincent Van Gogh from the 1800s. These painters brought the Netherlands to a global leadership position in the arts, and tourists from around the world flock each year to museums in Holland to see the old artists’ famous works.
And how about contemporary Dutch art? Can the Dutch still produce masterpieces today? Sure. In my “journey of discovery” through Holland, I often meet interesting artists and galleries. Whether they are masterpieces or not, I could not say, but I have been repeatedly pleased and inspired by what I’ve seen.
A contemporary Dutch artist who makes the most amazing automotive strand beasts is Theo Jansen in Scheveningen. I guess you could say he has a technical, “Gyro Gearloose” approach to art, which fits well with his educational background from the University of Technology in Delft. Check out his amazing “strandbeests” here.
I would probably start to run fast if I met one of them on the beach. And, it’s not entirely unlikely, as Scheveningen is right next to where I live and do my weekly runs.