Bert made this painting after a visit to the Völklingen iron smelter (Völklinger Hütte) in Germany on June 12, 2024. In the background of the painting you can see some forced labourers (out of more than 12000 forced labourers and prisoners of war) who were employed here during the Second World War. A little more in the foreground is a German officer talking to the wife of the former owner and war criminal Hermann Röchling, Theodora Müller.
Bert Hermans was born in 1947 in The Netherlands. His work consists mainly of oil paintings, with his major theme being industrial and cultural heritage. Hermans has followed several courses in acrylic, water media and oil painting, starting in 1985 at the Dutch Art School SKVR in Rotterdam in the Netherlands. The last decade his work mainly is concentrated on oil paintings.
Hermans has had exhibitions in eight countries in Europe, in the USA, China and Japan. He won several art prices. His works have been published in many art books and his artwork has been published and sold worldwide.
