Henk Helmantel (b. 1945) is considered one of the Dutch Northern Realists. Even though he feels strongly connected to the tradition of more than 500 years of Western European painting, he is also very much a painter of the 20th and 21st century with his own distinctive and subtle interpretation of the art of the past. His home and studio are in Westeremden, the village of his birth located in the province of Groningen in the north of The Netherlands. He specializes in church interiors and still lifes. While his work does not conform to some current notions of contemporary art, he has earned wide recognition and in 2008 was awarded the title of Dutch Artist of the Year. During summers the annual exhibitions he organizes in the beautiful old barn attached to his house attract many visitors. Over the years several books about his work have been published. www.helmantel.nl