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Bert Hermans
'Revenge of 1F'
Oil on linen
80 x 60 cm

Bert made this painting after a visit to Clémont (Cher, France) in September 2022. During this visit, he took a trip to Bourges with friends. On the way, he came across a dilapidated building complex at Presly, which he visited earlier in 2021, of which the room where the priest-director probably lived can be seen through a hole in the wall. This space next to the chapel is in a very dilapidated state. Through the hole in the wall we look at two chairs, a couch, cupboard and table. '1 f' is painted on the wall in the background. Most likely former students from this class were responsible for the destruction in revenge for what was done to them.
Founded in 1920, the school was both a boys' school and an orphanage and was run by the Oblates of the Sacred Heart. Later in 2009, the building became a religious institution consisting of a private school, college and high school.
In 2017, the school was closed by order of the judiciary because of, among other things, abuse by the priest-principal and some employees of pupils and because of fraud.