Governor Eugene Holiday (right) and his wife Marie-Louise (left) unveiling artist Alfredo Doornkamp’s official portrait of the Governor, which will be hung in the reception hall of the Cabinet as the start of a portrait gallery of the Governors of St. Maarten and will be available for everyone visiting the cabinet to view. Story on page .
PHILIPSBURG--An official portrait of Governor Eugene Holiday was unveiled during a ceremony at John Larmonie Center on Tuesday.
The portrait, which was painted by portrait artist Alfredo Doornkamp, will be hung in the reception hall of the Cabinet of the Governor as the start of a portrait gallery of the Governors of St. Maarten and will be available for everyone visiting the cabinet to view.
The portrait captures an image of Holiday at the head of the meeting table in his office. It depicts Holiday sitting upright with his hands on his left thigh, dressed in a navy-blue suit, white shirt, blue necktie, white pocket square, his St. Maarten flag lapel pin and his anchor cufflinks.
A 2010 edition of the constitution of St. Maarten is on the nearby table. Holiday said he had received that edition of the constitution as a member of the St. Maarten delegation at the final roundtable conference in The Hague in September 2010 and it has been a fixture for frequent review in his office as of day one. Resting on the constitution is his pen which he often uses to work out his thoughts and to prepare.
In the background through the window there is Sentry Hill, with its rocky top, in the distance. Sentry Hill is the highest point on the southern side of the island.
“The presence of Sentry Hill in this painting has a special meaning to me. It provides the viewer with a view from the window in my office. But more importantly, it connects the painting and my person to St. Maarten. This view represents my Cul-de-Sac heritage going back over 2¼ centuries.
“It also gives the viewer a glimpse of how I view my function as Governor. As the highest hill on the southern side of our island named Sentry, it represents my duty as governor to always strive for the highest standard, that is for excellence in guarding, in promoting the wellbeing of our people and country. An obligation I swore to uphold as Governor of St Maarten,” Holiday said in remarks at the ceremony.
He said the painting and unveiling of the portraits of the Governors of the islands have a long tradition that started with the Governors of the Netherlands Antilles, was continued in Aruba after 1986 and in Curaçao after 2010. St. Maarten now continues that practice and starts its own St Maarten tradition with the unveiling ceremony on Tuesday.
“Art, be it music, dance, poetry, literature, sculpture, or painting, has always played an important role in documenting and/or telling the story of people. Art as such helps to preserve our collective memory. It is therefore my hope that this practice will become part of the artistic culture and tradition of St. Maarten as we continue to work to build our nation,” Holiday said.
Selecting an artist was not easy and having to do so during COVID-19 made it even more challenging, Holiday noted. “It is, after all, not every day you choose an artist to paint you. And you want to get it right.”
He said that as a child he had been fascinated by the work of the late portrait artist Cynric Griffith and remained deeply impressed as he grew older. “He was a family friend and I was in awe of his artistic genius, of how he brought the story of ordinary people to life on canvas with his brush and oil paint.
“You can imagine that as I looked for an artist to paint my portrait, I studied their work with Mr. Griffith’s work in the back of my mind. After doing some study I decided that I would prefer to have an oil painting. After looking at the work of several artists online I was able, with some help from staff, to narrow the selection down to a handful of artists,” he explained.
“Following interviews with five artists, I selected Mr. Alfredo Doornkamp and he was then commissioned by the Cabinet of the Governor to paint my official portrait. Watching his work online, I was impressed with the way he captured the subjects in his paintings.
“If you go online, you will see his paintings of Nelson Mandela, Bob Marley, former Governor of Aruba Freddy Refunjol, Mayor Femke Halsema, and others. There was one painting in particular that made the difference: that is the painting of his godfather, which he calls ‘The Power of Dignity’. It reminded me of the work of Cynric Griffith.
“Two months and several virtual meetings later, here we are at this portrait unveiling ceremony. During the two months, I saw photos of the painting as it developed and only saw the actual painting on Saturday, four days ago.”
Holiday told Doornkamp that he is happy he selected him because the painting shows his exceptional skills as a portrait artist. “I am very pleased and impressed with the result. You have in my view successfully captured my likeness and provide a glimpse into my personality. Thank you for a wonderful job. It is an amazing portrait.”
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic Holiday did not sit for the painting of the portrait. It is mainly based on a 2018 photo and several other recent photos provided to Doornkamp by email.
“It is my hope that viewers will see in this painting, a portrait of a man who, during our country’s formative years and during tough times, was deeply honoured and humbled to guard over our country’s interests in service to our people and country.
“I am particularly hopeful that this painting will inspire young St. Maarten boys and girls to serve their country and that among them we will find future governors, who I am sure will see that this job is a lonely one,” Holiday said.
“When wrestling with national, kingdom, political, legal, or constitutional questions, I know that they will find a friend in this portrait, a friend who I suggest that they consult from time to time. And if and when they do, they will hear it whispering: ‘God will guide you, stay strong, keep calm, remain steadfast, strive for excellence and put the interest of the people of St. Maarten first my friend,’” he said.
He said the function of Governor is a very public function and he and his wife are very private persons. “Observant viewers of the portrait will see a monogram, three letters written on the cuff of my right sleeve in the painting. They are your initials, M.L.H. I asked the painter to include your initials as a tribute and recognition that you are my right hand and my most valuable support and confidant. My portrait would not be complete without having something of you included,” Holiday said to his wife.
He said it is his honour and privilege to serve the people of St. Maarten. “As a son of the people and Governor for the people I hereby dedicate this portrait to the people of St. Maarten.”
