November 2016 – September 2017

The Bible and the Sea

In the series ‘The Bible and the Sea’  Van de Graaf tries to blend together two major influences in his life, passages of the Bible and the sea. He draws inspiration from the stories and wisdom in the Bible. This research is a part of his journey to seek meaning in life. The sea and the beautiful Dutch skies are also an ongoing source of inspiration for him. Every day he absorbs its beauty and colours because he is living and working next to the sea. 

These paintings are both referring to themes of the old masters, as to give his own modern translation and interpretation of his historical subjects. With every painting there is a sort of story board with references to biblical passages and references to paintings of the Old Masters as Rembrandt’s ‘The Storm on the Sea of Galilee’ (1632).

In these paintings he is working towards a balance between figuration and abstraction.