Jan Roos

In the open air of his hometown, Harlingen, Jan Roos (1951) painted impressions of harbour life on ship packaging materials and developed an oeuvre of monumental harbour scenes. His expressive brushstrokes make the roughness of the sea and the sensory sensations of the open air tangible.

Jan Roos, born and still living in Harlingen, is one of the most important painters from Friesland. His work is deeply rooted in the harbour and the landscape of his hometown. In order to work quickly on site, Roos exchanged oil paint for acrylics, which dry more rapidly. He often painted on the ground, crouching or kneeling, placing himself quite literally in the moment, surrounded by the sounds, smells, and sensations of the harbour. The majority of these works have never been shown before in a museum setting.

Cover image: Jan Roos, work from the exhibition On the Borderline of Land and Sea, 2026