Street Art Cities

In the early 1990s an area north of the railway line Tilburg - Breda was reserved for the Floriade horticultural exhibition. As this was eventually held elsewhere in the Netherlands, work began here in 1994 on a residential district (De Reeshof). This rectangular block of 15 dwelling units is the result of a competition held by the local branch of the BNA (Royal Institute of Dutch Architects). The painting at the head end is by artist Rob Brandt. Measuring 10 by 11 metres, it is composed of handmade tiles (of 30 x 30 centimetres each) in 1999. 

Rob Brandt (1946) paints a portrait in which you can recognize yourself as an individual, an image of man and woman at the same time. It is of a colorful, expressive splendor, in which you can become engrossed while peering in a way that most corresponds to the experience you have when, lying with your back in the grass, you discover strange faces or formidable monsters in the passing clouds. In fact, the portrait of Rob Brandt is a great temptation in the Dutch flat landscape that unfolds before your eyes and is connecting the portrait with the passing Dutch skies.
 The portrait is a beacon in the Reeshof district. The artwork was seriously damaged by moisture and frost damage. The artist has made 400 new tiles in a traditional way to restore the work of art. A labour-intensive and time-consuming process. The restored work was completed in 2009. - Brochure Tilburg Art Foundation Art 

Update 2024-10-02: Currently, tiles are again coming loose from the portrait, leaving it incomplete. In all probability, the artwork will be restored again in 2025 (after the winter).