Since my retirement I started painting myself. I got more interested in the successful Dutch painters from centuries ago. Like Rembrandt van Rijn. Much longer ago I got interested in politics. In this century this interest got strong new boosts from 9/11 and the murder of Dutch politician Pim Fortuyn and an even stronger one from the murder of Theo van Gogh.
I am anti-nihilist, anti-communist and pro-civilization.
I am an old Dutch painter, hence: ODP.
I am a loving grandfather. That is why on Twitter and other platforms I also use the nickname Loving Granddad. My real name is Frans Groenendijk.

The blogposts on this website are placed in 20 (sub) categories: see footer. Some important ones are in the menu: see header. The very first serious post was this one, Women’s sport, liposuction and perverse priorities. It was based on a Dutch text I wrote in 2016. I foresaw problems, but not the speed and perversity of the developments in the past few years. Hence this for quite some time was my so called ‘pinned tweet’ and is now my first ‘highlighted’ X.

‘Rembrandt as St Paul’
by Cornelis Le Mair
‘Rembrandt as St Paul’
by Frans Groenendijk

Two ‘Rembrandts’

I took painting lessons with three teachers. I learned very different things from them. The last of them was Cornelis Le Mair: truly world famous in certain circles. I followed a four-day course with him in March 2023. I also bought the 2017-2022 supplement to his oeuvre catalogue. In it I only discovered at home that he also made his own ‘copies’ of works by great Old Dutch Painters from the 17th century. One of those works was a ‘Self-portrait of Rembrandt van Rijn “As Saint Paul”‘.
And I did something similar! I paraphrased that portrait. Here you can see them side by side. Obviously Cornelis’s work is better -most significantly in the skin-colour- but not so much better that I am ashamed of my interpretation.
And there is a funny difference.
In his own accompanying text, Le Mair writes that he left out both Paul’s sword and the book because they would distract him too much from the essence.
As a painting politician slash political painter I did exactly the opposite!
I explained that in two blog posts. One about Rembrandt & Wokeness and the other one about the Basilica of Saint Paul in Rome.

The footer has a link to an about page, titled “About (the) Old Dutch Painter(s). At the bottom of that page you can find a bit more information “About thís Old Dutch Painter”.

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