My mother, Wendela, who was a daughter of Arnoud, lived from 1912 to 1994, my grandfather from 1873 to 1953. Nescio (no relation) from 1882 to 1961. Nescio’s biography contains a lot of information about the times and the worlds where my parents and grandparents had to go through. Had to because ‘politionele acties‘ and two world wars were parts of them. They hardly discussed these with their children.
The family in the photo includes 6 children, 5 daughters and a son. Arnoud carries Wendela. The last one, Arnoud junior, has yet to be born.
In 1951, six years old, I stayed with them for a week in Lunteren. He took care of me during long morning walks through the woods. He pointed out details of the plants and the animals and gave them names. What I learned was seeing the details, what I didn’t learn were the names. If I want to describe them I have to use my own words.
I inherited portraits of both. Arnoud is painted by Wim Schuhmacher as a suspicious and vicious man. If a portrait is to hint about whether he was content or happy, here he doesn’t have time for that. Hints are more about how he sees Schuhmacher in his position (above the valley) and himself as a model (below it). Wendela is a child, not dressed up too much for the time, and is fearless while being portrayed by an artist (Midderigh-Bokhorst). Later she will have her father’s nose.
