Netherlands 1640 – the Museum Writing Challenge

The Netherlands: 1640

Ettie’s World

Mother would be cross if she knew.

Those in the room did not hear her. She was stealth. Years of practice at being invisible. But she need not have worried. A Servant’s child was never noticed.

It was early, yet her mother had risen hours ago, lighting fires, labouring in the laundry and helping the cook prepare breakfast.

Mother would be cross if she knew where she was.

Ettie’s curiosity beckoned her to the parlour with its elegance. A boastful room with velvet furnishings and heavy drapes like condescending sentinels. These were rooms in which she would never belong.

In her imaginings, Ettie’s life was more opulent than a future of servitude and dirty laundry.  It was a world where her stomach was full, where she wore fine dresses and lived in a affluent house with two parents who were both present and healthy. Where they were toys and laughter. A world of mere imaginings. Ettie was sure, in that world, she would wear pretty white bonnets, starched and stiff, shiny leather shoes, and would carry a stick wrapped in silk ribbons of pink and blue.

Mother would be cross if she knew where she was.

Ettie didn’t know what the ribboned stick signified. Nor had she ever worn shoes. Perhaps a princess had lost this shoe while dancing at a ball. The stick might belong to a wizard. For casting spells and magic that would bring a smile to her mother’s drawn and pale face and cure her pains.

Mother would be cross if she knew where she was.

Ettie had snuck into the parlour. She a peasant child with no father and no business among Persian rugs, fine china and ornate ornaments from distant lands. A place where the waft of tobacco lingered from time to time when he was home.

Ettie had heard stories about him, stories of a distinguished Seafaring Captain who was nearly eight foot tall. She knew when he would arrive – everyone rushed about in a frenzy – polishing silverware and scrubbing floors until they gleamed. The smell of Roast duckling cooking in the kitchen. Its aroma enticing, although Ettie had never eaten it.

Once, after the Captain had finished his dinner, she‘d been given the privilege of feeding his dog the juicy dinner scraps. Afterwards, Ettie had licked her fingers. The deliciousness had made her taste-buds tingle, tasting of sweet meat and orange.

Mother would be cross if she knew where she was.

Ettie is quiet, crouching in the corner near the hearth. Invisible. When the Captain summons the servants to clear away breakfast, she sees his face. His long beard, the smiley, green eyes. The same eyes. She knows green eyes are special because everyone tells her that, and she is the only one who has them.

The master reaches for his long smoking pipe, then pauses. He has seen her. Crouching in the corner. He says nothing. So she watches him, fingers entwined. He looks at Ettie when the servants have diverted the Mistress’ attention and a smile creeps into the corner of his mouth. It is the same smile he saves for her mother when he passes her in the hall.

Ettie had wondered why her mother never smiled back. Her eyes always downcast, avoiding, never meeting his – in deference, Ettie once supposed.

Now she isn’t so sure.

Whispers among the servants – the green-eyed Captain’s child.

Mother would be cross if she knew.

This piece is written for Kay Castaneda’s monthly writing Challenge. For this challenge, bloggers write an original poem, blog post or brief story using a prompt of a painting, provided. You have a month to post your poem/story. See more at: bookplaces.blog

Diving into Art in Delft

Delft Town Hall and Square

On one of my first trips to Europe, I visited Delft, a small town renowned for its art and painting – traditions that have been preserved since well before the 17^th Century.

Street Scene in Delft

Delft is famous as the birthplace of the talented master painter, Vermeer, and home to the production of the exquisite ‘Delft Blue’ earthenware.

The 2003 movie, The Girl with The Pearl Earring, was set in the town of Delft and based on a novel, of the same name, by Tracy Chevalier. There are reminders everywhere in Delft.

The Girl with the Golden Earring and other themed Delft ware

At the Delft factory, the Koninklijke Porceleyne Fles, I took the option of an English-speaking tour. This establishment dates back to 1653, (the Dutch Golden Age). The translations in English were noticeably shorter than the German or Dutch versions, so I can only assume words took longer to say in a different language!

All genuine articles of Delftware have the insignia you see on the header image, on the reverse side of the article. If it is missing, it won’t be a genuine Delft piece, but a cheap imitation – of which there are many.

Not only did I see the production process of a huge variety of magnificent Delft Blue antiques, (even in the ladies toilets where there is a massive mural in painted tiles), but I got to watch the Delft artists at work, painting new earthenware plates and vases.

Painting Delftware

It was interesting to note that prior to painting, the Delft artist traces the designated pattern onto the unfired ?Greenware in carbon, using strategically placed dots, made through holes in the tracing.  The designs are then painted with black paint, and the firing process burns off the carbon dots and changes the black paint to the familiar and beautiful Delft blue colour.

The artists who demonstrate Delft painting, in the public viewing room, only painted for 30 minutes at a time before swapping with other artists, to a private work area. Painting the lines accurately and precisely requires intense concentration. It’s difficult to maintain that level of concentration for any length of time, especially when you have interested tourists gawking at you.

Buying a Piece of Delftware

Heads up: If you’re looking to purchase a genuine Delft hand-painted souvenir, take plenty of money, as it’s very expensive.

There are various colours available too: even green!

The Netherlands’ vast legacy of decoration, both on earthenware and wooden art is a wonderful inspiration to contemporary artists.

Connections between Traditional Folk Art Styles

It is also noticeable to delve a little further back into history and examine the influences that facilitated the development of the many variants of Dutch folk art.

One rustic folk art style is called Hindelooper and was greatly influenced by the Norwegian decorative painting styles called Rosemaling.

Why?

Dutch Traders borrowed ideas they had seen on their travels and in turn, these new ideas and influences were absorbed back into parochial Dutch culture and art.

One example is the northern provinces of The Netherlands, where Frisian maritime villages traded far more with other Hanseatic trading towns, such as Bergen in Norway than their own countrymen in Amsterdam, resulting in the integration of the Scandinavian dialects and art concepts into their own culture.

Museum piece of Hindelooper Art

Copyright 2022

Traditional Art in the Netherlands

Hindeloopen and lock house

Unless you are lucky enough to sail directly into the harbour, it may take several hours and more than a few changes of trains to reach the tiny Dutch village of Hindeloopen in the Northern Netherland’s province of Friesland.  

I alighted at the deserted railway station and felt a stab of disappointment as the town of Hindeloopen, itself, is not immediately visible from the railway station. To add to that, the only residents assigned to “meet and greet” tourists are some rather indulgent-looking cows! Not what I was expecting, at all.

After a twenty-minute walk carrying luggage with no wheels, (remember those times?), I reached the village of Hindeloopen proper and began a step back in time to the 16^th Century, where Hanseatic traders plied cobblestone streets and canals; where ol’ salty Sea Captains built iconic homes with gabled facades and decorated their interiors with elaborate folk art motifs, peculiar to the area.

History of Hindeloopen and Hindelooper Folk Art, Friesland

Ever since the 13th Century, the moorings in the harbour at Hindeloopen provided Norwegian and other Hanseatic traders with a safe haven from the rough weather in the ZuiderZee. All these foreign influences were gradually absorbed into village culture in Hindeloopen. Even the language spoken in the village has more in common with dialects from the Scandinavian countries than it has with its own national Dutch language.

At an altitude of 1 metre below sea level, the village of Hindeloopen had often suffered economic setbacks from devastating floods and inundation from sea water until 1932 when the Afsluitdijk was constructed and the rough seas of the ZuiderZee were tamed at last.

Unfortunately, the closure of the Zuiderzee to the open sea also meant the rapid demise of maritime trade and this forced the citizens to search for an alternate means of income. The unemployed sailors soon discovered there was a market for the traditional wooden objects they’d painted during the times when the weather prevented them from going out to sea. The painted objects became known as Hindeloopen art.

Today, the visitor to Hindeloopen will see grassy dykes along the ZuiderZee, dotted with grazing sheep; a harbour bustling with tourists and luxury yachts and many colourful rowboats in Hindeloopen’s sleepy canals. In summer, the many gardens burst with lush hydrangea blooms and the various artists open their studios to showcase an amazing collection of painted wares.

Art Studios in Hindeloopen

Traditionally, the men of the village are the painters of Hindelooper folk art; the woman and wives merely operate the shopfront where the art is sold, so any questions I had on the technical aspects of painting during my visit went largely unanswered. On reflection, I thought this barrier might inadvertently protect the cottage industry from contemporary artistic influences and maintain its purist form.

At the village’s only hotel, I found examples of Hindelooper folk art including a Spinning wheel, a six-sided High Chair and a Bridal suite complete with a “box-bed,” built into the wall. Furthermore, whilst dining at the nearby Pancake cafe, I noticed every chair and table, therein, was painted in Hindelooper florals by Gauke Bootsma, whose neighbouring studio is brimming with a stunning array of art.

Gauke Bootsma

The sheer quantity of works in Bootsma’s shop is absolutely overwhelming. Although his work is in a contemporary light and airy style called, ‘Basic Hindelooper’, the larger items of furniture and serving trays are decorated with a detailed panel depicting village scenes such as sailing boats, Hindeloopen Sluitshouse, (Lock House), or typical Dutch windmills. 

The shop’s display is themed around the traditional background colours of Hindelooper ie: one room has pieces on stained timber; another has monochromatic white and blue designs, and still another has designs on green backgrounds, a feast for the eyes.

Whilst browsing the many cabinets, wine racks, gate-leg tables, milk cans and smaller items in this shop, I spotted the artist, (who was once destined for a career in seafaring like his Harbourmaster father), hard at work upstairs in his studio, producing yet another beautiful Hindelooper item. On seeing me looking at him working, he quietly closed the door to his workshop. The artists can sometimes be secretive about their techniques!

Harmen Zweed

Directly opposite the town’s Hotel, is the studio of Harmen Zweed who paints in the Classic style.  There is a ‘must see’ door lavishly decorated with biblical motifs, fruit, detailed flowers and scrolls, all painted with translucency and an illusion of depth not seen in the Basic style.  The six-sided traditional high chair gives the visitor a hint of what the Zweed’s kitchen must be like, which is painted completely in Hindelooper.

According to Jenny, (the painter’s wife), who operates the Zweed shop, there are ten colours traditionally used in Hindelooper painting, with the predominant floral motifs being the Dogrose, Starflower and Carnation, but tulips may sometimes be used.

You will find several other painting studios in Hindeloopen such as Iekoon and Meine Visser’s shop. Het Roosje’s studio, established in 1894, is almost a museum in itself and contains expertly painted stair-stools for alcove wall-beds, furniture and specialist woodcarving.  

Harmen Glashower’s stunning painting is impressively detailed, but his shop is open only upon request, although I did find him working in the nearby Dutch Fabric shop. The shop stocks the traditional chintz fabrics used in the Hindeloopen folk costumes, and has a photographic catalogue of Glashower’s painted work available for browsing.

Traditional Hindelooper fabric and costume

HISTORIC FOLK ART in MUSEUMS

Museum piece

The Museum Hidde Nijland Foundation located in the Town Hall (circa 1683), is the place to view Hindeloopen’s painting heritage. Not only is there an enthralling collection of colourful tines, bowls, and cupboards, but also furniture and staircases for wall-beds, dating back to the 17^th and 18^th Centuries. 

My personal favourite was a wall panel in blue on a white background, with bird and floral motifs. I noted a faux marble finish was often incorporated into the rim or side of an object. The display of traditional and brightly coloured folk costumes and Dutch tiles are inspirational in colour and design.

Would you like to know more about Traditional forms of art in Hindeloopen? Check out these links.

Roosje Hindeloopen

Glashouwer Hindeloopen – in Dutch

Bushboy’s Last on the Card Challenge

Norwegian Rosemaling

Why wouldn’t I use Brian’s challenge to post a pic of my favourite art?

This isn’t my original design but I was inspired to adapt a similar design that I used as the basis for this practice in colour.

Flashback Friendly Friday – A Journey to Delft

DELFT

Delft is a Dutch city renowned for its history of painting. So well preserved since the 17^th Century, Delft is also famous as the birthplace of the painter, Vermeer, and home to the exquisite ‘Delft Blue’ earthenware.

I took an English speaking tour at the Koninklijke Porceleyne Fles, the Delftware factory dating back to 1653,considered the Dutch Golden Age.

Unassuming building given the treasures that lie inside

Not only did I see magnificent Delft Blue antiques, (even in the ladies toilets), but I got to watch the artists at work, painting new earthenware plates and vases. It was interesting to note that prior to painting, the artist traces the designated pattern in carbon, using strategically placed dots, made through holes in the tracing.  

The designs are painted in black paint, and the firing process burns off the carbon dots, and changes the black paint to the familiar Delft blue colour.

The official Royal Dutch Delft website has the following visual to explain the process:

The Netherlands’ vast legacy of decoration, both on earthenware and wood is a wonderful inspiration to contemporary artists. If you wish to purchase a hand-painted souvenir, take plenty of money with you, as it is expensive. But it is truly magnificent!

• 

• 

It is useful to delve back in history examining all the various influences that facilitated the development of Dutch folk art. For it is not only the Indian and Oriental world that inspired Dutch painters, but also the Scandinavian world with whom the Dutch were vigorous trading partners.

Linking to Sandy’s Friendly Friday Blog Challenge – Flashback

You may also find Sarah’s Flashback post on Bletchley park interesting.

 

Dog Friendly Cafes and Bars

Unlike a lot of Europe, dogs are not welcome at all eating venues around Australia. The select ones that do welcome dogs, were so few a decade ago that I started a social media group to identify and share information about their location. It now has almost 9000 members. That is a lot of folks wanting to take their doggy with them to eat/have coffee.

Mostly the allocated dog friendly space at an Australian Dog Friendly Cafe is outdoors, without a fixed roof, if the venue is serving any kind of food. I do understand that dogs are unpredictable and can bark or become a nuisance. If this is the sort of dog you have, you probably would hang out at a park instead of a cafe.

Bearing this in mind, it was with much excitement that I attended Dalgety Public House located on the riverside fringe of the CBD. Not only did this Gastropub welcome dogs, they offered wide range of events, lunchs dinners, and weekend breakfasts. The meal we had was scrumptious and the Barista was a talented coffee artist who decorated our coffee crema with our own pet or animal of choice.

Here is some of her creations. Guess which one is my pup?

Are dogs accepted at cafes, pubs in your area?

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Forestwood Designs (@forestwood.designs)

Friendly Friday Blogging Challenge – Something Different

Friendly Friday Blogging Challenge

Sandy set a Friendly Friday challenge to come up with Something different and I was convinced I’d failed to find anything noteworthy until I read Ally Bean’s Rudolph Framework which she’s adapted from a marketing analysis by author Ann Handley.

Not ‘Rudolph’ but quirky namesake

The Rudolph Marketing Framework

The Rudolph Framework “helps you understand the actual problem you and your business solve for your customers– not the one you *think* you solve.” Click HERE to be taken to her fun explanation of this framework.

thespectacledbean.com/2021/02/23/applying-a-business-framework-to-this-personal-blog-to-tell-a-tale/

Most know, or will quickly find out, I am no blog business guru and to be frank, StPA is purely self-expression via my own mindful meanderings covering a multitude of topics from the environment to photography.

Therefore, you might, as I initially did, think this Rudolph exercise holds little relevance in the blogging world and is akin to writing one of those verbose, but glib ‘mission statements.’ [Groan]

Photo by Christina Morillo on Pexels.com

Those two words, ‘mission statement,’ is enough for me to tune out and yet, reading further, I quickly realized that I did want to know where I might be headed blog-wise, and that a little blogging self-examination may indeed be useful, at least to me. Add to that, Ally mentioned that she was curious to see where the framework would take other bloggers. Thus, I’d dive right in. I may have taken it in a tangent way off the original intention, but it IS an experiment so who knows where we will end up.

Following are the Framework questions. One fills in the blanks for how it pertains to your blog. Like one of those grammar exercises back in school. Easy, right?

Something to Ponder About Blog’s Rudolph Framework

1. Once upon a time, there was a blog focused on information important enough to share with others that promoted open, independent discussion called Something to Ponder About.
2. It has the capacity to question, to inform, to frustrate and possibly to validate aspects of environmental change, in addition to various other topics.
3. Some people doubt it because they’re sure technology will be the saviour in any environmental disaster and the blogosphere is merely filled with rank amateurs who not only ignore contradictory information and opinions, but seem hell-bent on locking up the planet, subverting business progress or fixate on their own capitalistic endeavours. [which is incorrect].
4. But one day, the earth shouts at ALL its people so loudly that heads turn and deaf ears and closed eyes open.
5. Which means that more folks become interested in environmental change and start to connect with bloggers and others who recognize we all live on one heavenly body.
6. To help the awareness of planetary health and survival for all sentient beings.
7. And that matters because the global population needs access to independent information and different opinions, from many diverse sources which results in an informed global community, who might be more proactive about positive change, mindful of equity and respectful of differences.
8. In the process, you help coalesce a community of global cohesiveness and egalitarian understanding with blogs being one small catalyst.
9. The Planet gets a kiss!

Applying the Rudolph Framework to Your Own Blog

If you wish to try this writing experiment with your own blog, check in with Ally. Blogger etiquette would suggest you cite Ann Handley and include a pingback to The Spectacled Bean.

Something Different

If you wish to join in with the Friendly Friday Challenge, check the instructions, or visit Sandy’s Friendly Friday post.

I will be back with another Friendly Friday challenge theme on Friday 12th March, 2021.

Amanda

Wisdom from the Past in Traditional Art

Norwegian Decorative Art of Rosemaling

In traditional art, it was a custom to have a saying or Proverb decorating the border of a bowl, utensil or piece of furniture. Especially this is seen in the old decorative art of Norway, called Rosemaling.

Rosemaling by Bjorn Pettersen

The following words of wisdom were indicative of a social art history as they were penned by the artist of that time and reflected their thoughts and values. A time capsule of advice.

Norwegian Proverbs on Rosemaling Decorative Art

Here are a few to ponder:

– Alderen kjem ikkje aleine; han fører så mye med seg.

Age comes not alone; it brings so much with it.

 –Det gror ikke til på veien mellon gode venner.

On the road between the homes of friends, grass does not grow.

 –Ingen kan hjelp den som ikke vil hjelpe seg sjøl.

Noone can help someone who will not help him/herself

Too much cleverness is foolishness.

For mye klokskap er dårskap.

Curious to know more about Rosemaling, an art form that has experienced a Renaissance in America, particularly the Norwegian areas of the Mid-West?

Find more here