No painting from the Mauritshuis suits muralist Nina Valkhoff better than The Garden of Eden with the Fall of Man. Inspired by this masterpiece, she created a vibrant design for a mural on Melis Stokelaan 670 in The Hague. Come and see it in person!
Nina Valkhoff
Nina Valkhoff is a muralist and illustrator from Rotterdam. Creating large-scale murals has been her passion for over 20 years. Her preference is to fill the urban landscape with murals that often feature endangered species surrounded by flowers and plants. Through her artwork, she aims to raise awareness among viewers and passersby about the existence of these animals while showcasing the immense beauty of the animal kingdom. Her vibrant artworks can be found in countries such as Argentina, Belgium, Curaçao, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Sweden, and Switzerland.
Nina Valkhoff: "I find it visually appealing myself, but I also want to bring joy to people through my street art paintings."
Working at Heights
How do muralists manage to transfer their A4-sized designs so precisely onto a wall, especially when it's nearly 100 square meters in size? There are various techniques involved. Firstly, Nina requires a mobile aerial work platform (such as Riwal) and a safety harness to work at heights. Collaborating partner The Hague Street Art (THSA) takes care of these requirements as well as providing all the necessary paint.
Nina Valkhoff begins by creating a grid, which is a series of square sections. She overlays this grid on top of her design, enabling her to accurately map out the sketch lines on the wall. Once the sketch is on the wall, the grid lines are covered with white paint. This allows for filling in large sections with color (as seen in the photo). Gradually, more details are added to the colored areas, such as light and shadow effects, which bring the animals and plants to life with increasing realism. The end result is a mural that truly stands out!
Thumbs Up
For this mural, Nina Valkhoff created three designs inspired by the painting The Garden of Eden with the Fall of Man from the Mauritshuis. Together with the Staedion neighborhood consultant, we visited all the residents in the area with the designs. Residents were able to express their preferences, and the design featuring the deer and the paradise bird was chosen!
Nina Valkhoff: "The residents responded very enthusiastically, from some who would stand on their balconies to get a better view, to friendly neighbors who would give a thumbs-up from behind their windows or offer me something to drink. Even passersby would often shout compliments as they cycled or walked by."
Animals in the Spotlight
What does Nina want to convey with her design? We asked her ourselves:
"In the design, I wanted to give prominence to two barely noticeable animals from the painting, something that you might easily overlook in the museum but now stands out prominently. This appeals to me because I see it as a metaphor for how animals are treated—they are easily overlooked or mistreated, and no one cares or pays attention. You can't ignore these animals in the mural. Additionally, they are graceful creatures, and hopefully, they bring joy to the residents and passersby."
Jan Brueghel the Elder & Peter Paul Rubens
This painting is a collaboration between two famous Flemish masters: Rubens and Brueghel. They created several paintings of this kind, intended as spectacular pieces that showcased the best of both artists' skills.
Brueghel was responsible for the composition, while Rubens began the painting process. He painted Adam and Eve, the tree, the horse, and the snake in a sketchy manner using thin paint. Then Brueghel took over, meticulously painting the plants and animals with opaque paint, displaying his encyclopedic precision.
