Van Nelle

by Bert Hermans · Gouda, NL

This painting shows the Van Nelle Factory in Rotterdam in the Netherlands. The Van Nelle Factory is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The oil painting provides a view between two factory parts connected by walkways with a chimney and a menacing sky in the background. Bert Hermans deliberately chose a display during twilight because that is when the light from the factory comes into its own. The former factory of the Van Nelle company was designed by Leendert van der Vlugt of the architectural firm Brinkman & Van der Vlugt in collaboration with constructor Jan Wiebenga. It is a textbook example of the famous "Het Nieuwe Bouwen" (Bauhaus). The complex was built between 1927 and 1930 under the leadership of Cees van der Leeuw. The factory consists of buildings with facades mainly made of steel and glass and was seen as an ideal working environment; it was open to the outside and the daylight provided pleasant working conditions. In the period from 2002 to 2004, the factory was converted into a 'Design Factory' for small companies and events.