'Sparendam'

While in Spaarndam – on the northeast side of Haarlem – on a sunny Sunday a couple weeks ago I came across a local painter named Remco Haantjens. He was working. The picturesque village center around the ‘Kolk’ provided him a perfect scenery for a new painting. And with his jaunty black hat and coat, his neatly trimmed grey little beard and long blue woolen shawl he fitted in so perfectly, that I asked him if could take some pictures of him. He agreed, and asked me in return if I could send him some of them afterwards. Well, okay!
Back home, when I was looking on his website for an email address, I not only saw his work, but found out a little bit more about who he was as well. I learned for example that despite his very Dutch name he was born and raised in Bolivia.
I mailed him a few of my pictures, and he replied wih a big 'thank you!'. He also promised me to send me a picture of the Spaarndam painting back as soon as he had finished it.

The next day already I got the promised picture.

Now, apart from the fact that this is not the kind of painting that I would hang above my couch, there is something intriguing about it. It had me puzzled to be honest. It is the title: Sparendam. (See left bottom corner)
According to his other work he must live in Haarlem or nearby for quite some years now – I mean, he is no stranger. And his style of painting requires a sharp eye for details. Then why miss-spelling the name of the village after you spend an entire Sunday painting its scenery?

Btw: One of the pictures I send him is on his website now