For the magazine Blijtijds, I was interviewed by freelance journalist  Marjolein de Jong for the 2024 autumn edition with the theme ‘art in search of a restorer’. The article is called ‘Blijmaker’ and with the title ‘the painting is a door to history’, I talk about my passion painting restoration. I am happy to share this with both colleagues and clients! Photographer Marloes Bosch came to the studio and took the accompanying photo..

Blijtijds consists of a weekly online column and the paper magazine that appears four times a year with the six program guides that Bindinc publishes.

Blijtijds … What makes those valuation frameworks so important?

“When a private individual comes to me with a painting, it is important for me to know what the work means to him or her. Often it is about high-quality art, but sometimes it is a small painting that has no financial value at all. Then it is of great emotional value and they may have had the painting on the wall with their grandparents from a young age. The painting acts as a door to their family history: a small piece of heritage experience. And they want to cherish that. This knowledge helps me to understand how they feel about restoration. Suppose it were to be restored for the trade, then the painting would have to be completely immaculate. In these cases, it often doesn’t have to be ‘finished’. A bit of wear and tear can even add to the charm of the painting. For paintings in museums, it is important for me to know whether the work belongs to the top pieces or plays a supporting role in the depot. In the latter case, I advise a minimal restoration.”

(A portion of the interview’s text)