'God-given' realism impresses Henk Helmantel - Master Painter in Drents Museum

Henk Helmantel - Master painter is the first press preview I attend since the corona outbreak. Wearing a mouth mask, of course. Originally, an exhibition on Frida Kahlo on the programme, but it has been moved to 2021. The exhibition of Henk Helmantel's art has been brought forward, which I am very pleased about.

The name Henk Helmantel was already known with me before I had ever seen a painting by him, as my mother is a long-time fan of his art. The first work I saw of his - in a shop window in Groningen - was a rendering of an open Bible with vase. Henk Helmantel told me that the painting will be on display in Kampen next month. My parents and I had always wanted to visit his museum 'The Weem' in Westeremden. However, as often happens with museums in the surrounding regions, we thought, 'that will come another time'. Now that I have seen the extensive collection in the Drents Museum have seen, I can say with conviction that Henk Helmantel is now among my favourite painters.

'Divine gift'

Henk Helmantel has the honour of being the first living artist to be featured in the main exhibition hall. He is considered one of the foremost painters within contemporary realism. When I admire his work, I can see why. Helmantel himself sees his talent as "a gift from God" and regards painting as "a wonderful vocation". Both his God-given talent and holy admiration for the subjects he depicts are evident in his works.

The attention to detail and the precision with which it is painted: breathtaking. The still lifes are so lifelike that you marvel at the fact that it is not a photograph. To give the works, especially the larger canvases, the museum has placed benches here and there so visitors can feast their eyes.

Diversity of topics

The exhibition features a variety of subjects: animals, still lifes with fruits and vegetables, as well as beautiful medieval church interiors. Because of coronagraphs, the layout of the exhibition is more limited than usual, but it does not disturb or hinder the experience. On the contrary, I was rather charmed by the layout; good use of openings in the partitions gave a tantalising taste of what to expect further on in the exhibition. At one spot in the hall, if you turned around, you could admire interiors of different churches. The white, neutral colour of the walls together with the sometimes intense and colourful walls made the artworks stand out; a stunning contrast.

Nature and culture

Nature creates culture and therefore also art. Henk Helmantel knows how to depict this fascinating symbiosis beautifully in his work. Although the paintings of churches and interiors are impressive, my nature- and culture-loving heart still beats faster for still lifes where nature is an explicit part. Favourites of the exhibition included: 'Vegetable Still Life', because it reminded me of an authentic farm table with produce from my own garden and surroundings; 'Still Life with Large Roemer and Quinces', because of the wonderful balance in the use of dark and light colours, the authentic glassware and 'Still Life with Pomegranates', because here the colourful fruit, the white grapes and pomegranates, provide a shock of colour in the rather dark composition.

The chance of encountering a hedgehog or an (abandoned) nest with eggs in real life is unfortunately getting smaller and smaller with the shrinking area of nature and the extinction of many animal species, but the 'realness' of Helmantel's paintings still lets you enjoy these beautiful phenomena.

Even more Helmantel

If you would like to admire more of Henk Helmantel's work after seeing the exhibition, you can. Then travel on to Nooitgedacht, just 15 minutes away from the museum, where Harms Rolde collection at the resort Hof van Saksen shows a permanent collection of paintings by the artist. Admission is free.

While looking at the various photos I took during the press show, I listen to the fascinating Spotify list created especially for the exhibition "Music from the studio of Henk Helmantel".