Marianne Aartsen

Marianne Aartsen is contemporary Dutch painter known for her translucent depictions of figures, rabbits, and flowers. By building up many layers of paint, Aaartsen transforms her subject matter into ghostly versions of their original forms. “I'm not interested in painting reality—boring—so I leave that to the photographers,” she has said. Born on April 26, 1950 in Arnhem, Netherlands, she went on to study at the Maastricht Academy of Fine Arts and Design and later at the Jan van Eyck Academy in Maastricht. Over the decades following earning her degree, the artist has used painting as a vehicle to express emotions of sadness, fear, and wonder. She continues to live and work in Maastricht, Netherlands. Today, Aartsen’s works are held in the collections of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the Musée National in Bamako, Mali, and the Stedelijk Museum in Roermond, Netherlands, among others.