Saints & Heroes, iconic photographs by Eddy Posthuma de Boer

Portraits, street scenes and tranquil observations form the building blocks of the body of work by Eddy Posthuma de Boer (1931–2021). The photography exhibition sheds new light on his work, which spans a whole lifetime and during which he undertook numerous journeys.

As a photographer-traveller, he had a natural ability to capture the most essential moments with interest, curiosity and a seemingly casual click of the camera. Whether it be the soul of a place or a devout human atmosphere, Posthuma de Boer’s way of seeing is not that of a detached passer-by, but of someone who has embraced seeing with compassion in his heart, in a world full of saints and heroes.

What at first glance might seem ‘ordinary’ or ‘simple’ turns out to harbour a melting pot of moods and even acts of veneration. Farm labourers, jazz legends, a painter with traces of paint on his overalls, a writer at her desk, a proud war veteran, people of faith and their rituals, a mother with her child. Saints and heroes are everywhere.

On display from 18 July to 15 November 2026.

Don’t miss the exhibition ‘Saints and Heroes – Saint Justus, Rubens and the Pilgrims’ at the Stedelijk Museum Zutphen (on display from 18 July).