'Behind closed doors' (2020) Oil on linen 60 x 80 cm Sold)
This painting shows one of the beautiful marble corridors of the town hall in Leiden. The town hall will be thoroughly renovated in 2020 and 2021. The town hall will therefore be temporarily closed from Saturday 4 January 2020. Thanks to his brother-in-law who has worked in the town hall, Bert was able to visit the building just before its closure in December 2019. The beautiful marble corridors and stairwells will not be open to the public during the restoration. The title of the painting 'Behind closed doors' refers not only to the (temporary) closure of the town hall, but also to the refugees who wait behind closed doors at the end of the corridor for access to the free world.
