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Portrait of Pieter Dankert

Portrait of Pieter Dankert © EP 2021

Nederländerna, 1988

Olja på panel, 60 x 50 cm

signerad och daterad (nere till höger)

Inköpt från konstnären 1988


John Goudie Lynchs bana är representativ för Europaprojektets kulturella rikedom. Han studerade i Glasgow, vid Glasgow School of Art (1964–1968) och undervisade sedan i konst vid Internationella skolan i Amsterdam innan han flyttade till Frankrike för att leva och skapa där. Vid första anblicken skulle man kunna beteckna Lynchs verk som ytligt beskrivande porträttering av samtida personer och miljöer. Men om man tittar närmare märker man de lätt förvridna kroppsställningarna, de ojämna proportionerna, figurernas kraftiga och ibland underliga ansiktsuttryck och de surrealistiska situationer som de befinner sig i. Vissa av dem möter till och med betraktarens blick, så att de bryter igenom målningens illusoriska fjärde vägg och interagerar med den nu involverade betraktaren. Därför överraskar det att ett sådant okonventionellt synsätt används i samlingen för att återge scener i Europaparlamentets dagliga liv och verksamhet. Portrait of Pieter Dankert utnyttjar den traditionella porträttmålningens parametrar: en sober bakgrund och en centralfigur i konservativ klädsel med diskreta accessoarer som syftar på och framhäver hans personlighet och/eller befattning. Men också i den här målningen är hållningen och blicken avslappad och håller fast betraktarna på ett mjukt, säkert och ganska utmanande sätt. Det allmänna intrycket av politisk kraft kvarstår, men det åstadkoms längs en väg som är specifik för Lynch.
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Portrait of Pieter Dankert

John Goudie LYNCH

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  • 1978
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  • 1982
  • 1983
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  • 1988
  • 1989
  • 1990
  • 1991
  • 1992
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  • 1994
  • 1995
  • 1996
  • 1997
  • 1998
  • 1978

    Democracy in Spain

    A referendum in Spain overwhelmingly supports a new constitution setting the country on the path towards democracy.

  • 1979

    Simone Veil

    Simone Veil, former French health minister and survivor of the Auschwitz concentration camp, becomes the first president of the elected Parliament, and the first woman to hold the post.


    First direct European elections

    The first direct elections for the European Parliament are held, the first international elections in history. A total of 410 members are elected across 9 countries. Socialists come out slightly ahead of the centre-right EPP but none of the groups has an absolute majority in what will become a permanent feature of European elections.

  • 1980

    Solidarność trade union strike

    The Polish trade union ‘Solidarność’, and its co-founders Lech Walesa and Anna Walentynowicz, become household names across Europe and the world following the Gdansk shipyard strikes in the summer of 1980. The union is officially formed on 17 September and plays a leading role over the next decade in bringing democracy to Poland.


    Letter from Simone Veil

    “(…) l’achat annuel de quelques oeuvres d’art devrait permettre d’encourager des artistes dont la renommée est encore limitée. Aussi, avec l’accord du Bureau du Parlement, j’envisage de faire procéder à l’achat d’oeuvres réalisées par des artistes originaires des dix pays de la Communauté.”
    Typewritten letter from Simone Veil (President of the European Parliament),
    addressed to Michel Hansenne (President and Minister of the French Community),
    December 16, 1980. (Historical Archives of the European Parliament)

  • 1981

    Enlargement: Greece

    Greece becomes the 10th member state of the European communities.


    1st round of acquisitions

    1st round of acquisitions of works of art following the declaration of Simone Veil. Acquisitions of artworks from Belgium and France.

  • 1982

    Piet Dankert

    Piet Dankert served as President of the European Parliament from 19 January 1982 until 24 July 1984.


    Acquisitions

    Acquisitions of artworks from The United Kingdom and Ireland.

  • 1983

    Acquisitions

    Acquisitions of artworks from Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Denmark.


    Altiero Spinelli present the draft treaty on European Union.

  • 1984

    Second European elections

    European elections take place for the second time. Voters elect 434 members of the European Parliament from 10 countries. Socialists get about 30% of the seats and widen the gap with the centre-right EPP (25%).


    Pierre Pflimlin

    Pierre Pflimlin served as President of the European Parliament from 1984 to 1987.


    EP report on European Union

    The European Parliament adopts a draft treaty on European Union, authored by Italian MEP Altiero Spinelli. The federalist vision in the report inspires future talks on revisions to the founding treaties.

  • 1986

    Enlargement: Spain & Portugal

    Spain and Portugal join in the “Iberian enlargement”.

  • 1987

    Henry Plumb

    Henry Plumb, Baron Plumb served as President of the European Parliament from 1987 to 1989, the only Briton to hold the post.


    Single European Act

    The Single European Act formulates the objective of creating a single market by removing barriers and harmonising standards.

    It introduces the cooperation and assent procedures that for the first time give the EP a real say on legislation, and makes the name “European Parliament” official.

  • 1988

    Sakharov Prize

    The Parliament establishes the annual Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to honour people and groups from all over the world fighting for human rights.

    South African anti-apartheid activist and future president Nelson Mandela and late Soviet dissident Anatoly Marchenko are the first laureates.

  • 1989

    Fall of the Berlin Wall

    After weeks of civil unrest, the East German authorities open the crossing of the Berlin Wall in an act that symbolises the end of communist rule in Eastern Europe.


    Enrique Barón Crespo

    Enrique Barón Crespo served as President of the European Parliament from 1989 to 1992.


    3rd European elections

    In the third elections for the European Parliament a total of 518 MEPs from 12 countries are elected. The Socialists get more seats than anyone else (about 35%).

  • 1990

    Reunification of Germany

    East Germany is reunified with the Federal Republic of Germany. Parliament welcomes 18 non-voting observers to represent the new German provinces until elections in 1994.


    2nd round of acquisitions

    Continuation of the 2nd round of acquisitions: Belgium, Denmark, Germany and Greece.

  • 1991

    Wars in former Yugoslavia

    Slovenia and Croatia declare independence from Yugoslavia. Tensions between the nations that have been part of the collapsing federation lead to violent wars for much of the following decade despite peace-making efforts by Western powers.


    2nd round of acquisitions

    Continuation of the 2nd round of acquisitions: Greece and France.

  • 1992

    Egon A. Klepsch

    Egon A. Klepsch served as President of the European Parliament from 1992 to 1994.


    2nd round of acquisitions

    Continuation of the 2nd round of acquisitions: Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

  • 1993

    Maastricht Treaty

    The Maastricht Treaty paves the way for the creation of the European Union and the euro. It introduces the codecision procedure giving Parliament an equal say with the Council in some areas of legislation and gives Parliament the power to approve the Commission as a whole.


    Continuation of the 2nd round of acquisitions: the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

  • 1994

    Klaus Hänsch

    Klaus Hänsch served as served as President of the European Parliament from 1994 to 1997.


    1994 European elections

    European elections are held for the fourth time. A total of 567 members of the European Parliament from 12 countries are elected with the Socialists forming the largest group (35%) ahead of the centre-right EPP (28%).

  • 1995

    Enlargement

    Austria, Finland and Sweden join the EU bringing the number of member states to 15.

  • 1997

    José María Gil-Robles

    José María Gil-Robles served as President of the European Parliament from 1997 to 1999.


    Signature of Amsterdam Treaty

    Signing of the Amsterdam Treaty. The Treaties establishing the European Communities and a few related acts were signed in the presence of the President of the European Parliament, José María Gil-Robles.

  • 1998

    Belfast Agreement

    The signing of the ‘Good Friday’ or ‘Belfast Agreement’ between the Irish and the British governments led to the end of 30 years of conflict in Northern Ireland.