"Frankrijkerlaan 15" Oil on canvas 80 x 60 cm (Sold)
Bert made this painting following a trip to Zuidhorn in Groningen. The house depicted in the painting is a so-called notary's house. The painting depicts the owner of the house and her grandchildren. In the background (right) you can see the apartment building where the owner used to live in Rotterdam. Zuidhorn (Groningen: Zuudhörn) is a village and former municipality in the municipality of Westerkwartier in the Dutch province of Groningen. Zuidhorn has 7,200 inhabitants (January 1, 2021). The central axis of the village is formed by the sand ridge De Gast, on which several beautiful houses were built at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century and which was designated as a protected village view in 2007. Zuidhorn also has a turbulent history. For example, in 1731 a large public execution took place in Zuidhorn of 22 men who were alleged to have engaged in the 'ungodly practice' of 'sodomy/crimen nefandum' (homosexual activities). This execution was part of a national campaign against 'heresies' and the witch hunt for 'sodomites'.
