Michael Borremans' De Maagd on Ghent's Goudenleeuwplein: a small fresco with a cleaning problem
In Ghent's Goudenleeuwplein, a concrete structure showcases a fresco by Flemish artist Michaël Borremans, named De Maagd (2014), which measures 60 by 70 centimeters. This artwork, often overlooked by those passing by, illustrates a woman with white rays emanating from her eyes set against a muted backdrop. Facing Sint Baafs Kathedraal, Borremans' piece contrasts with the golden rays of the Van Eyck brothers' Lam Gods. Two years after its completion, a cleaning company removed paint marks that Borremans had intentionally left to signify the work’s creation. The following year, his signature was also erased. Laure van den Hout's article on mistermotley.nl links De Maagd to other artworks that were mistakenly cleaned, including pieces by Martin Kippenberger and Damien Hirst.
Key facts
- De Maagd (2014) is a fresco by Michaël Borremans on a concrete lift and bell tower on Goudenleeuwplein in Ghent
- The portrait measures 60 by 70 centimetres and is mounted high on the concrete structure
- White light rays emanate from the figure's eyes, in contrast to the golden rays of the Van Eyck brothers' Lam Gods in Sint Baafs Kathedraal
- Two years after completion, a cleaning company removed paint marks Borremans had deliberately left beside the portrait
- A year later, another cleaning erased the artist's signature from the rear of the concrete where the bell hangs
- Borremans said he left the brush marks so viewers could see the work was painted directly on the concrete wall
- The article compares the losses to Martin Kippenberger's Wenn's anfängt durch die Decke zu tropfen (1987) and a Damien Hirst (Untitled) installation destroyed in 2001
- The text was written by Laure van den Hout for mistermotley.nl
Entities
Artists
Institutions
- Sint Baafs Kathedraal
- mistermotley.nl
- Dinamo
Locations
- Ghent
- Belgium
- Goudenleeuwplein