Potato Eaters

In 1997, the owner of the then centennial building on the corner of Van Bleyswijckstraat and Buitenwatersloot asked artist Juul Smulders to refurbish the equally old wall advertisement 'Aardappelen in 't groot en in klein'. That happened at the end of September 1997 and then the word 'aardappelem (potatoes)' became readable again.

A. van der Gaag started his business here at the end of the nineteenth century and - probably shortly afterwards - had the painting applied. After his death in 1915, son Gerrit took over the business. For that reason - still visible today - the letter A is painted over in a G. Gerrit died on February 11, 1937 and his widow Carolina Wilhelmina van der Gaag-Hoogendoorn continued the business. The store was discontinued on July 1, 1946. Underneath the advertising, Juul Smulders painted a mural inspired by Vincent van Gogh's Potato Eaters. The new Potato Eaters was unveiled on Oct. 10, 1997.

This is just a beautiful overall picture: the setting of this artwork, the way an extra window was painted in the building to accommodate the potato eaters and the fact that there really was a potato business located here. Everything is just right.