STRENGTH AND FRAGILITY

I paint and draw my immediate surroundings in the rural area just north of Amsterdam. Farmers, landscape, animals, people. Aiming to show a timeless beauty, without reverting to nostalgia.


At the moment, the focus of my work lies with painting cattle, sheep and horses. Farm animals are part of our cultural heritage and our landscape, as well as an economic factor. They are not pets, but production units. Life and death of these animals lie in our hands. Their physical strength is intimidating, certainly up close, but they are utterly dependent and vulnerable.
I want to show this impressive strength and beauty, but I also want to raise the servitude and fragility. I do this in lifesize drawings and paintings, that often express a certain threat or sadness, as well as the beauty of the animals.

Drs Nicole van der Schaaf, art historian: "...Philine van der Vegte treedt met haar schitterende veestukken in de voetsporen van deze voorgangers, die het vee hun eigen karakter teruggaven en plaatsten in hun natuurlijk omgeving: de Hollandse weide. Kijk de schapen van Van der Vegte aan en zie het dier in al zijn waardigheid: kracht en onafhankelijkheid gaat samen met schoonheid. Maar zie tevens de kwetsbaarheid van het dier over wiens lot wij mensen beslissen."

FRESH OFF THE EASEL: