Exhibition Henk Helmantel - Serene Realism in Rhenen

Henk Helmantel

Serene Realism in Rhenen

Tuesday 19 May 2026 to 9 January 2027

Henk Helmantel is one of the Netherlands' most successful contemporary artists. Groningen master painter Helmantel is a fine painter who depicts his subjects in a realistic manner. At the age of 16, he was admitted to Groningen's Minerva Academy. His oeuvre is inspired by the traditions of 500 years of painting.

Still lifes and interiors of medieval churches and monasteries are at the forefront of his oeuvre, experiencing the stillness and serenity of ancient churches. The painted desolate high rooms with architectural Romanesque or Gothic style features are breathtakingly beautiful.

The exhibition Sereen Realisme in Rhenen also focuses on connecting Helmantel's works with the museum's archaeological collection. The painting: Pottery from Ezinge is tangibly depicted by Helmantel. Coarse archaeological pots, painted with robust, rough edges really do look weathered! The work of art inspired the museum to display from its own collection, archaeological pots from the Iron Age, which had been stored in the depot for years.

Helmantel experiences wonder and a deep respect for Creation. This can be seen in his still lifes with choice of austere subjects: such as onions in a cardboard box. The beauty of a transparent fragile onion skin combined with the rough cardboard of a box is striking. He knows how to elevate austere subjects to tangible beauty with a perfect rendering of fabric expression and composition. The artisanal pleasure with which Helmantel creates his paintings is clearly visible in his paintings. The exhibition Henk Helmantel Sereen Realisme in Rhenen is a subdued feast for your eyes. Activities will be organised during this exhibition.