Tag: Delft

Delft

Posted in Art in Europe, The NetherlandsLeave a comment

During my final weekend in the Netherlands, I was able to meet my good friend Meg for breakfast in Amsterdam. Meg and I taught together in Seoul about a decade ago. She now lives in the Netherlands with her husband and their two beautiful kiddos. We hadn’t seen each other since 2018 but it was like no time had passed. Much love, T-Hayne!

After catching up with Meg, I hopped on a train to my final destination – Delft. A charming town along a canal, it is known as the birthplace of Johannes Vermeer, the Dutch Master of Girl with the Pearl Earring fame. I came for the art (of course) but, more specifically, the ceramics, embedded into the very sidewalks of the city.

The story of delftware began in the early 1600s when the trademark white and blue ceramics became a hot commodity throughout Europe. At the time, the Dutch East India Company was responsible for the import of these 14th-century Chinese porcelain ceramics. As demand grew, the city of Delft set up ceramic production, applying white and cobalt oxide glazes to Chinese porcelain using a technique called “tin-glazed”. The technique gave Delftware the shiny, glossy finish we recognize today. Business boomed from 1640-1740. As the Ming dynasty declined, however, Chinese porcelain exports dried up. The Dutch found local sources of clay and production was entirely centered in Delft.

The Delft Blue Museum is a factory museum, offering self-guided tours through galleries of ceramics and production in the 400-year old factory up close. Above (right), you can see a version of Rembrandt’s The Night Watch, beautifully reproduced on delftware. The museum is a 15-minute walk along the water from the Delft train station – well worth the trip.

After my tour came to a close, I strolled back towards the downtown of Delft. It was Market Day and the streets were brimming with vendors selling fresh produce in their stalls. Considering the late October date, the offerings were colorful and fresh.

After checking into my rented room up in the eaves, I enjoyed an amazing dinner at De Kurk, a farm-to-table restaurant nearby. Possibly one of the best meals I’ve ever had, the greenhouse atmosphere and wonderful service only added to the experience. After dinner, I wandering the lanes of Delft, enjoying the baths of warm light emanating from cheery windows and doorways.

And thus ends the Belgium/Netherlands Art Tour of 2023. I’m back home with this little weirdo (below), in the homestretch until the winter holidays. Hope you have enjoyed this series and I look forward to sharing more from Istanbul with you soon.

Ghent

Posted in Architecture, Belgium2 Comments

A university town upon a canal, Ghent has the charm of Bruges and the city perks of Antwerp. Founded in the Late Middle Ages, this once wealthy city boasts architecture preserved from the 12th century.

Arriving by train, we took the tram to the city center. Walking around downtown, we were greeted by painting-worthy landscapes at every turn. With the autumn chill in the air and a light rain falling, we took a look around.

We had purposefully booked a hotel close to St. Bavo’s Cathedral, a Gothic stone giant which looms over central Ghent. Inside, we discovered gorgeous stained glass and works by Peter Paul Rubens juxtaposed against works by contemporary artists.

The reposed bishop was a surprising sight, but the marble carving was exquisite.

The highlight of St. Bavo’s and the raison d’etre for this stop on our trip was the Ghent Altarpiece. The masterpiece (below) was painted by brothers Hubert and Jan van Eyck. Completed in 1492, the artwork represents the transition from the art of the Middle Ages (religious iconography) to the Renaissance (human form and representation of nature). The top row is a veritable Who’s Who of Christianity – Adam, the Virgin Mary, “The Almighty”, John the Baptist, and Eve. The bottom register displays a crowd of pilgrims worshipping the Lamb of God in a natural setting.

This artwork was also stolen by the Nazi’s and recovered in the Altaussee salt mine (Austria). Since 2012, the altarpiece has been in a constant state of restoration. Panel by panel, conservationists remove layers of dirt and grime which have naturally built up over the centuries.

Ghent is a port city and, as such, offers deliciously indulgent seafood dishes such as moules frites. Mom and I found a suitable Belgian brasserie situated along the canal and tucked in to enjoy. A beautiful canopy of velvety blue adorned our walk home.

All too soon it was time to say goodbye. Mom and I spent a forgettable night in Rotterdam before heading back to Schiphol Airport to meet her flight. As she headed back over the Atlantic, I prepared for one final destination on this art history tour… a little town called Delft.