Remembering the Versatile Artist and Musician Gerrit Breteler who passed away at 68

Breteler had a Twente father and a Frisian mother. He came to Friesland in 1967 as a thirteen-year-old boy. Breteler was already attracted to the visual arts at a young age and studied at the ‘Vredeman de Vries’ art academy in Leeuwarden. In 1975 he graduated cum laude.

The countryside provided a lot of inspiration for Breteler and he developed into a versatile artist during his life. Breteler mainly painted in the traditional 17th century style. His works have been shown at exhibitions in the Netherlands, Germany, England and France. Breteler also painted portraits on commission.

Music

Breteler expressed his passion not only as a painter, but also in music, as a singer, in writing poems or inventing plays. In 1994, Breteler founded music group Fling, with whom he performed Irish folk music until 2002. The artist played various instruments: guitar, flute, violin and he could also work with an accordion.

Although he was not born Frisian, Breteler mastered the Frisian language very well. The decline of the Frisian countryside was a recurring theme in his work. He wrote songs in Frisian, which resulted in two CDs. In 2004 he released Therefore let us drink out and followed eight years later Catharsis. In 2017, the musician released a third CD Style with Frisian songs and covers in English.

Breteler was also socially involved and became politically active in 2021. In the elections for the House of Representatives in March of that year, he came in sixth place in the NLBeter party, which was led by psychiatrist and columnist Esther van Fenema. Breteler also wrote the party song for the campaign. However, NLBeter did not succeed in winning a seat.

Breteler has been struggling with declining health lately. He leaves behind a wife, son and daughter. Daughter Anne-Goaitske is an author and previously wrote columns for the Leeuwarder Courant.