Most people, the vast majority in fact, lead the lives that circumstances have thrust upon them, and though some repine, looking upon themselves as round pegs in square holes, and think that if things had been different they might have made a much better showing, the greater part accept their lot, if not with serenity, at all events with resignation. They are like train-cars travelling forever on the selfsame rails. They go backwards and forwards, backwards and forwards, inevitably, till they can go no longer and then are sold as scrap-iron. It is not often that you find a man who has boldly taken the course of his life into his own hands. When you do, it is worth while having a good look at him."
I was reminded of this paragraph in W. Somerset Maugham's short story "The Lotuseater" when I was introduced to a Dutch painter in Bali many years ago by another expat, Derek Hambling, who lived in a palatial residence named "Villa Mapati" near Kayuputih in the north of Bali.
Derek wanted to sell me an old house which he also owned and which, as it so happened, he had rented to this Dutch painter by the name of Theo Zantman, who in turn wanted to sell me some of his paintings. Neither the house nor the paintings inspired me, but I kept in touch with Theo after I had returned to Australia. That was in 2009 and, not having heard from Theo for quite a while, I thought I revisit his website.
however, you can retrieve it at web.archive.org and navigate the menu.
It had disappeared! I was surprised as the website was one of Theo's few means of selling his paintings. Instead, all I could track down was his old facebook page whose heading had ominously been changed to read, "Remembering Theo Zantman born on 18 of April 1955 in Rotterdam".
And then there was this ...
... and then this:
Good ol' Theo Zantman put down his brush on 17 September 2020, aged 77 years if you go by the dates on his gravesite, or 67 years if his old website is right, or a mere 65 if you want to believe his facebook page.
Whichever year he was born, he still died too soon even though he'd beaten the old Vincent Van Gogh in whose footsteps he'd followed by thirty years - and with his left ear still intact! Rest in Peace, Theo!
