Pauline Bakker (1966) started her career in art at De Vrije Academie for expressive art in The Hague, specialising in painting.

She then attended teacher’s training at De Witte Lelie in Amsterdam. As there was not much call for her love of realistic and classical art, she specialised in restoring classical paintings and worked for a number of years in a renowned studio.

There she learned a lot about technique of the old masters, the composition of a painting and colour arrangement. Her work clearly reflects this background in the classics and technique.

Nevertheless, she made the change from restoring paintings to painting professionally in 1997. The creative aspect of this work suited her far more.

As the secretary of the Dutch Association of Seascape Painters, she is part of a select gathering of Dutch artists who regularly organise joint exhibitions and are all specialised in portraying the sea in many different ways. Sites of exhibitions of the DASP include Panorama Mesdag and the Pulchri Studio in The Hague. Apart from the DASP, she is also a member of the Board of the Centre of Artists in Bergen.

Pauline’s realistic paintings catch the eye by their rigid and penetrating moods. They also distinguish themselves by radiating space and tranquillity. By the forceful use of colours, the paintings achieve a maximum of powerful expression. Most paintings show tranquil landscapes and sea views. By contrasting straight-lined buildings with skies painted in a classical style, the mundane reality is surprisingly and unexpectedly put in a different perspective.

Her work frequently takes her to the coasts of Holland, England and France. The sea is an inexhaustible source of inspiration for Pauline Bakker.

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