Fred Arends (1949) - Winterkoud

At one time he was called Fred Arends (1949), but nowadays he calls himself ‘Frederick Arends’. I understand why. His classically inclined artworks, mostly painted in the style of the 19th-century Dutch School, are eagerly snapped up in the United States. As market-conscious as he is, he therefore calls himself ‘Frederick’. That sounds in Anglophone countries just a bit fancier than ‘Fred’, and, to be fair, that first name also fits better with his image as a traditional painter.

Is it because of the warm climate? Or does he want to live close to his biggest market? Either way, Fred (alias Frederick) has been living for years on the tropical island of Curaçao, where he exhibits his works in a gallery, the ’Art Gallery Absolute’. Handy, because annually more than 200,000 American tourists visit the island. Most walk, coming from the quay where the cruise ships dock, to the heart of the historic town. Amid the UNESCO World Heritage zone, they see against the facade of a historic building a typical brown sign from Monumentenzorg. With copper letters, a sign that Americans associate with ‘Important Historical Site’, it reads: ‘Fred Arends – the Traditional Dutch Master’. The short, accompanying line below is a specimen of marketing strategy: “Arends was inspired by 17th century Dutch masters and their techniques.” A direct reference, for the American cruise passengers, to the century of Rembrandt and Vermeer, but also to the era of the ‘Dutch founding fathers’ of New York.