Aad de Haas was a nonconformist and controversial painter. However, since 2000, both the Kunsthal in Rotterdam and Schunck in Heerlen have held De Haas retrospectives. This has brought renewed attention to the artist’s work. During World War II, he went into hiding to avoid Arbeitseinsatz (forced labour in Germany). Ada, the daughter of Prof. Van der Poel (the founder and long-time director of the Tax & Customs Museum) had briefly studied at the art academy in Rotterdam, where she had met De Haas. In 1941, Prof. Van der Poel had received compensation of 100,000 guilders from the state for the destruction of the Tax & Customs Museum during the first days of the war. With the war still waging, he used the money to commission several artists and thus help them to get through those difficult times. He also bought art materials to give to artists.