Van der Velden and the Bailiff

New Zealand Listener, Volume 3, Issue 67, 4 October 1940, Page 5

Van der Velden and the Bailiff

Neo one could help being struck by the genius of that most remarkable man, Petrus Van der Velden. When he came to live in Christchurch he rented a house in Montreal Street, I think it was. Van had a studio built in the orchard. When the bill for building this studio was presented, Van der Velden had to admit that he was penniless, and couldn’t pay. His English was rather scanty, then, but they finally made him understand that unless he paid, the bailiffs would be put in charge. "Ze baileeff, but what iss ze baileeff?" Van asked. The contractor then explained that the bailiff would sell his pictures to pay the bill. "Ah!" exclaimed Van, "Then he is a wonderful man. He is cleverer than I am, for I cannot sell my pictures." He was also told that the bailiff would perhaps stay sometime in the house. Van was delighted, for as he said, "I cannot afford to pay a model, so he will sit for a picture." The result was a painting of two men playing cards. Jack Van der Velden, a son, posed for one man, the bailiff for the other. For the benefit of those who may feel that Var hadn’t acted honestly, you may be glad to know that the bill was soon paid, a wine and spirit merchant named Roper having bought some pictures. Anyway, Van had, before he left Holland, a good market for his pictures-his water colours selling for as much as 80 guineas. He probably expected to sell well in Christchurch also. In time Van had quite a number of students--(Sydney Thompson, "Things as Seen by an Artist,’ No. 2, 3Y A September 4).