Jakob Smits Museum

Recently I've visited the Dirk Baksteen exhibition at Jakob Smits Museum.

Twice. For years I've been a great admirer of his art.

Perhaps you have seen my earlier posts about the museum and the artist.

(You can find it here, here and here)

First I would like to show you some art by other artists in Jakob Smits Museum:

A charcoal / black crayon drawing "Moeder en geit" (Mother and goat) by Jakob Smits

Etching and aquatint "Schaapsherder" (Shepherd) by Leopold Haeck

Impression of the museum:

Another favourite art work : oil paint on wooden panel

"Geboortehuis van de moeder van Frans Van Leemputten" 1865

by Corneel Van Leemputten (Dutch link: here)

Temporary Dirk Baksteen Exhibition: Stilist van de Stilte

I'm sorry for the light reflections in the glass...

Baksteen's eye for detail and craftsmanship is incredible...

The exhibition led to some debate in the community of Mol,

the municipality where Dirk Baksteen used to live and work.

To this very day Dirk Baksteen's collaboration with the Germans during World War II is still delicate.

His belief and actions influenced, perhaps even up until now, many lives.

After the war Baksteen was convicted for 5 years and imprisoned for 3 years.

He never returned to (live in) Mol again.

"Dem Führer, zum Geburtstag"

The question could be:

Can you exhibit the work of an artist with questionable ideas / behaviour?

Maybe we should aim to separate the art from someone's belief and actions.

It can be quite difficult but I just hope we can!