Bernardus Johannes Blommers

Private collection, since circa 1970.

T. de Veer, ‘Van een schildersleven’, in Elseviers Geïllustreerd Maandschrift, vol. 16, Amsterdam 1906, p. 157.

In 1906 the author Theo de Veer spent time with Blommers and recorded their conversation – he found him completely captivating. Despite the patience Blommers expressed you needed with children, the artist revealed the beauty and joy it brought him to paint them: 'When my own children were still small, God, you saw a painting in your living room every minute..., nothing needed to be added..., you saw it... I painted them quite often then..., my wife then posed with them..., she understood it, you see... For example, I had a large painting, Dag Vader! (Goodbye Father!); it was a fisherman's wife holding a child up in front of her, who then waves with his cap at a departing boat... But it didn't work, the models just weren't standing the way I wanted... wooden... My wife couldn't stand it any longer... she picks up one of the children and stands in front of me for a moment... I painted it all in one go... you see, then there was life in it'.¹

¹ De Veer 1906, p. 157.