the results

In 1993 I put these reflections into images. A coffin decked with roses was the first result. The man for whom I painted one with angels knew his last earthly abode in advance. He himself had decided what final image his family and friends would have of him: the coffin had become the personal signature of the deceased.
In 1994, this man still was an exception. After my exhibition of 12 painted coffins in the Amsterdam Vondelkerk (1995), a number of these were sold, and new ones were commissioned. Some patrons wished to see simple, meaningful symbols on their coffins, others preferred a detailed impression after a certain style. Once a client commissioned a coffin with a similar design as the one in which his loved one had been buried. He will use it as a cupboard until his own death.