BERT OOSTHOUT is a contemporary artist from the island of Curaçau in the Dutch West Indies. Familiar with the warm waters of the Caribbean nowadays he is more likely to be sailing along the coast of the Netherlands in the bracing air of the Wadden Sea.

He is equally likely to be sitting nearby on an artist’s stool painting scenes of the great freshwater lake, the Ijsselmeer; the two are separated by a huge dam that closed off the former Zuiderzee. This coastal area of the Netherlands is made up of a string of sand bar barrier islands. It is much larger than the Algarve’s Ria Formosa but as a natural formation it is similar in its structure.

Like most Dutch people living in a country where much of the land lies below sea level, Bert respects the power of the sea. The Netherlands is managed through sophisticated engineering, but with the advance of global warming it is an increasing threat.

Bert is widely known for his paintings of seascapes and it’s hardly any wonder since metaphorically speaking brine has run through his bloodstream since the day that he was born! On the island of Curaçau you’re never far from the sea.

He can predict the weather by looking across reflections in the tides. He can view the sea from the line where it meets the horizon and forecast what the waves are saying about tomorrow. He has a special affinity with their movements and undoubtedly there is something supernatural about an artist who creates ‘salt water paintings’ from oil paints!

He is not the only Dutchman to have gained creative inspiration from the sea. Jan Jacob Slauerhoff is one of the most significant Dutch writers of the 20th century. Life as a ship’s doctor brought him to the same conclusion as Bert Oosthout that “the sea is a place of freedom”.

He travelled widely, in his case to the Dutch East Indies where he was captivated by the Portuguese territory of Macau. This set him on a literary journey to study the work of the 16th century Portuguese poet Luis de Camões included in this month’s issue of AlgarvePlus. (See page 82).

Slauerhoff, who is mentioned, is best remembered for his poetry anthologies; written during the 1920s and 30s, they are filled with vivid images of the sea. His ability with words to convey its beauty and strength is matched by Bert Oosthout producing similar compositions with paint.

This is the first opportunity to see Bert Oosthout’s paintings in Portugal. His work has recently been recognised and selected by the owners of Galeria Côrte-Real who are delighted to represent him here