Opera under the sea

La ciudad y el polder

Acrylic on canvas, 50×60, 2007. Private collection.

I was greatly inspired by the windmills in and around Leiden, in the Netherlands. Most windmills in this central region of the country are responsible for keeping the water under the sea level, giving space for agriculture and safe housing (known as poldermolen). Most windmills have a grinding function (for grains). In sea port areas, windmills were also used to saw wood (think of intercontinental ships 400 years ago). My favorite windmill, for various reasons, grinds paint and is called The Cat. There are currently over 1,000 windmills in the Netherlands, few compared to the 10,000+ that covered the Golden Age landscape.

Molino

Acrylic on canvas, 50×60, 2007. Private collection.

Bajo el nivel del mar

Acrylic on canvas, 50×60, 2007. Private collection.

Declives

Acrylic on canvas, 50×60, 2007. Private collection.

Las tres gracias

Acrylic on canvas, 50×60, 2007. Private collection.

Lineas

Acrylic on canvas, 50×60, 2007. Private collection.

The importance of windmills is closely linked to the use of space, where land and water have been moved back and forth to satisfy the Dutch needs. One impressive example is the city of Amsterdam, which reflected the creative and capricious vision of the Golden Age (see section Amstel and Ij).