Glory

On the side of a large apartment block in Amsterdam Nieuw-West, a famous Dutch masterpiece is reimagined within a playful contemporary frame. At the center, Johannes Vermeer’s The Milkmaid appears in careful detail, painted as though stepping out of her original canvas. Surrounding her, however, the wall erupts in a sea of Pez’s iconic smiling fish characters, their bold colours and cartoonish energy clashing joyfully with the calm domestic scene at the center.

A collaboration between Spanish street artist PEZ and Dutch graffiti artist RECAL, Glory celebrates both Dutch cultural heritage and the international language of street art. By juxtaposing one of the Netherlands’ most revered Golden Age paintings with Pez’s exuberant pop imagery, the artists create a mural that bridges past and present, tradition and play.

Placed in a diverse neighbourhood, the mural transforms everyday architecture into a vibrant cultural statement. It reminds passersby that art history is not confined to museums—it can live in the streets, open to everyone, and infused with new layers of meaning.

Pez (1976, Barcelona) started graffiti painting in the outskirts of his hometown, back in 1999. He helped transform tagging into the bold characters and vibrant visuals we now call street art. Pez’s alter ego is an always smiling fish, which says a lot about his positive character and a lust to spread happiness everywhere. Swapping a career in software for the streets, he found freedom, adrenaline, and endless creativity in the urban landscape. His work has been featured in major documentaries like Exit Through the Gift Shop and countless books and magazines on graffiti culture. Beyond the walls, Pez has collaborated with global brands including Adidas, Toyota, and Reebok, making his playful, energetic style recognizable worldwide.