Zaandam becomes more colorful with Monet’s murals

The famous French painter Claude Monet once loved the Zaan region. Now, more than 150 years later, it seems the Zaan region still loves Monet,

Two Polish artists are busy bringing to life all 25 paintings that the French impressionist made in the Zaan region in 1871. They make life-size paintings on blank walls.

“I live in Zaandam and I love Monet,” says Maciej Gadek, one of the two artists NH News. “Pjotr ​​​​​​and I want to make Zaandam more beautiful and colorful.”

“Zaandam is quite remarkable and there is enough to paint for a lifetime”, She said Claude Monet himself, when he ended up at the Zaansteek on a field trip in 1871. He would make 25 paintings and 9 sketches in one year.

Monet was fascinated by the reflection of the sky in the water, turbulent cloud skies, colorful houses, spinning mills, many boats and fluttering summer dresses. website.

The idea from Gadek and fellow artist Pjotr ​​Bazynski came naturally, says Els Bakker of the Monet foundation. “It’s beautiful. They invented it themselves and we can only applaud it as a foundation.”

Two murals are now finished, a third is in the works. A typical Zaans house is painted on the white wall of a house. “I’d seen those murals before. Beautiful, so I really wanted to,” says the house’s tenant, Willem Kuiper. “I’ve had a say myself as to what it should be. It’s become the green house on the Zaan, a little further on. I went with the boys recently to have a look.”

Kuiper is lyrical about the mural, which he says makes green look beautiful when the sun shines on it.

Due to the cold, Pjotr ​​​​​​has to shake the spray cans vigorously before he can apply the typical Zaan green. In a case of spray cans is a booklet: Monet in Zaandam, 1871. But Pjotr ​​​​doesn’t even look at it. He ‘squirts’ from his head.

(Almost) three murals finished, another 22 to be completed. The Monet Foundation tries to help with funding as much as possible. It is taken from various pots that the municipality has available for the neighborhoods. At the Parteon housing association, which makes money available each year for tenants to decide for themselves, residents can now vote for a ‘Monet on the Wall’.

It is not yet clear when the Polish artists will have finished their project. Obviously it would be better if they did it within a year, just like Claude Monet. In any case, the Monet foundation can’t wait and is already planning to organize a walking tour along all 25 murals.