Painted Lady, Curacao Nights Magazine by Sue Campbell

Folklore

Popular Painted Lady

by Susan Campbell

This ancient ship’s figurehead has been the victim of a spirited tug of war between Curaçao and the Royal Netherlands Navy for over 130 years.

If this redhead could talk, she’d probably remain tight-lipped about her true identity, as she seems to prefer to remain shrouded in mystery. For over 200 years, it was thought that this was the figurehead from the Alphen, a frigate that inexplicably exploded in St. Annabaai harbor in 1775, because she was hauled up in a fisherman’s net in that spot some years later. But Dutch marine archaeologist Dr. Wil Nagelkerken discovered original drawings of that ill-fated ship that revealed that the figurehead was never part of the Alphen at all. Though we may never truly know from whence she came… we can certainly tell you where she’s been. And it’s been a very wild ride.

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After her rescue, the harbor master claimed the maritime maiden and she began island life as a garden ornament.

Later, the Maduro family, of today’s S.E.L. Maduro & Sons and Maduro & Curiel’s Bank, bought the harbor master’s house and the figurehead with it. In 1875, members of the Royal Netherlands Navy noticed her presence. Figureheads are meant to embody the very spirit of a ship and placate the sea gods to ensure a safe journey. Thinking a garden was no respectable place for a spiritual lady of the deep, the sailors stole her away on a lark and repainted her, including making her hair red. Red is the color of betrayal, and since she had betrayed her rightful place by residing on land instead of at 왘 Photo by Chris Richards

Folklore sea, she was christened the Red Betrayer.

That name was soon replaced with Loden Verrader, meaning “leaden betrayer”, most likely due to her leaden weight. Navy officials were not impressed with the prank and sent her back to her rightful home. Thus began the tug of war between the two entities that would last for over 130 years.

She was repeatedly “kidnapped” by visiting crews and then returned to Curaçao after receiving a new paint job.

The Maduros began improving the lady’s security whenever a Royal Netherlands Navy ship was in port, but that only spurred the “thieves” to become more creative. In 1938, the crew of HNLMS Gelderland actually broke into the bank’s safe at night to claim her. The tradition only stopped during the Second World War. After the war, midshipmen of HNLMS van Kinsbergen discovered that she was insecurely stashed in a room in the bank. Posing as new employees, they tricked the staff into letting them in, and once again, she was off.

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By 1975, after many more back and forth trips, the Maduro family decided to donate the famous Loden Verrader to the Netherlands Maritime Museum in Amsterdam. Then, in 1998, the Curaçao Maritime Museum received the statue on loan. The shady, red-haired lady was pinched again in 2004 by crew members of HNLMS van der Zaan. They were aided by an insider who helped them sneak her out underneath a wheelchair!

She has since been returned to her now-permanent home in the Curaçao Maritime Museum. Hopefully, you will see her there. But you never know… she might have been swept away again as she’s one very popular painted lady! 쮿

Photos courtesy of Jeroen van Eck