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Bert Hermans
'Steam engine KVL 4' (Leather Factory KVL)
Oil on canvas
20 x 20 cm

Bert visited the KVL leather factory in Oisterwijk with his cousin in February 2015. The factory complex of the Royal United Leather (KVL) in Oisterwijk dates from 1915. In the 1930s, KVL became the largest leather manufacturer in Europe. Until well into the 1980s, the factory accounted for a quarter of the total Dutch leather production. At that time, KVL was still one of the ten largest leather factories in Europe. The factory was important to Oisterwijk, because many residents of the municipality worked in the factory here. At the same time, the factory was of economic importance to the province of Brabant because of its position in Europe. The factory has been closed since 2000 and the building has fallen into decay.
A visit to this industrial heritage on 11 February 2015 and the photos and sketches Bert made there formed the important source of inspiration for this painting.