The guest book

Where the portraits ended up

Seven homes, seven pets, seven reasons. Every portrait hangs somewhere — and that spot tells the story.

Two hands holding a small silver-framed cat portrait against a warm wall, just before hanging it

Groningen·August 2026

„Sil stayed at my parents’ place. This was the first thing I hung in my room.”

In September Fenna moved into eighteen square metres that came without permission for a cat. Sil stayed behind in Assen, on the sofa, and by all accounts has not lost a night’s sleep over it.

„Sil”·for Fenna

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A warm living room with a small framed cat portrait on the wall and the same tabby cat sitting directly beneath it

Deventer·July 2026

„She sat down underneath it. As if she knew exactly what was hanging there.”

Toos is a tabby of unknown age who wandered in on a Tuesday and never left again. Marja sent in a photograph in which she sits in almost exactly the same posture as in the portrait that came back. That was not arranged.

„Toos”·for Marja

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A former home office with a wooden desk and a brass reading lamp; on the wall, in the pale patch where the planning board hung, a small framed dog portrait, and the same yellow labrador lying under the desk

Utrecht·September 2026

„A thousand dogs like this one are out walking. Only one of them hangs in my old study.”

Hans retired in June. Bo is a blond labrador of eight who spent the last four years lying under that desk, and who, by Hans’s account, was the only reason he ever got outdoors between meetings.

„Bo”·for Hans

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Through an open door, a view into a warm living room with a small framed cat portrait on the wall above the sofa

Zutphen·August 2026

„I walk past it ten times a day. Every time I think: there he is.”

Sipke was a fourteen-year-old red Maine Coon, with a weight guests always mentioned and a habit of lying down precisely in the doorway. Since March he is no longer around.

„Sipke”·for Wilma

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A narrow hallway with a coat rack, coats and a dog lead; low on the wall a small framed dog portrait, and the same wire-haired dachshund sitting beside it on the tiles

Nijmegen·September 2026

„I was afraid they would turn him into a sweet dog. He still looks exactly as offended as ever.”

Pip is a wire-haired dachshund with a beard, eyebrows and an expression somewhere between suspicion and disappointment. Karin sent in his photograph with the express note that he was on no account to come back nicer than he is.

„Pip”·for Karin

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A small white-framed watercolour portrait of a ragdoll on a warm wall, with a view through to the living room

Almere·August 2026

„The first thing we hung in the new house. We still are not on the wall ourselves.”

Youssef and Lotte got the keys in June. Of the seventeen boxes, one did not go to the garage: the one with the portrait of Nout, their ragdoll, who supervised the move largely from inside a laundry basket.

„Nout”·for Youssef and Lotte

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A small framed cat portrait on a pale windowsill, reflected in the glass, with garden green behind it

Rotterdam·August 2026

„He always sat on that windowsill as though it were a throne. Now it finally adds up.”

Ravi is a blue British Shorthair with the bearing of someone who never has to wait for anything. The photograph Joris sent in was taken on a Sunday morning, backlight and all, because Ravi only poses when it suits him.

„Ravi”·for Joris

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