Ada Breedveld

Ada Breedveld was born in 1944 in Dordrecht. When viewing Ada’s work, one can rightly say that it consists of variations on a theme. The protagonist in most of her paintings is a voluptuous, perpetually contented, smiling woman set against an ever-changing backdrop. Yet Ada Breedveld’s work never grows tiresome, despite a certain limitation in its subject matter. It is the artist’s strength that she continues to captivate through variation in composition and vibrant color. Also striking are the refined decorative patterns that form the “setting” of the scene—a scene that may or may not be laden with symbols, for this archetypal woman, this primal mother, is often accompanied by tulips, fish, snakes, or other motifs from flora and fauna. These are motifs that frequently appear in the history of (Dutch) painting and are often attributed symbolic meaning. However, the point is not to interpret each painting one by one in terms of symbols. One thing is immediately clear: this woman is a symbol of fertility par excellence. But she is more than that; she is also sensual, erotic, frivolous, voluptuous, humorous, loyal in friendship, sometimes a bit lonely and sad, and at other times cheerful and sociable. But what stands out most—a “constant” in nearly all the paintings—is the smile, the mysterious smile that appears time and again. Mysterious because her eyes are always closed, as if the contentment expressed by the smile comes from within. As if this smile were the result of self-contemplation—a reflection on the essence of womanhood in all its facets. Any “seriousness” in this contemplation is, incidentally, quickly put into perspective by the humor present—humor found both in the visual language and in the many wordplays hidden in the titles.