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Lot Essay
In the province of Friesland Leeuwarden has been the mayor centre of silver prodution. Although in many of the Frisian towns superb pieces of silver were made, many of the best known works of silver were made bij Leeuwarden silversmiths, like Rintie Jans, Nicolaes Mensma and the members of the Van der Lely family. No less than eight members of this family worked as silversmiths in the town of Leeuwarden in the late 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. Johannes van der Lely (c. 1674 - after 1750) together with his son Gabynus (c. 1703 - 1754) may be reconed the great masters of the family.
In 1683 Johannes was apprenticed to his father Frederik van der Lely. In 1694 he married Rinske Gabesd, and one year later he became a freeman of the guild. The year of his death is not known, but it seems likely that he at least reached the age of 76.
Many of Johannes' objects are extant. They are lavishly decorated, rather small scale objects, for domestic use as well as objects for the Roman Catholic service. Stylisticaly Johannes was strongly influenced by the work of French architect and designer Daniel Marot (1661-1752), who had fled to the Netherlands in 1686 after the evocation of the edict of Nantes. Due to this influence many of Johannes' works were initially attributed to foreing silversmiths. Only from the second half of the 19th century the realization dawned up to experts that they were the work of Johannes van der Lely.
For comparative literature:
J.W. Frederiks, Dutch Silver I, The Hague, 1952, p. 521.
Exh. cat. Lelie in zilver. Van der Lely, zilversmeden te Leeuwarden 1574-1788, Leeuwarden, Fries Museum, 1989.
In 1683 Johannes was apprenticed to his father Frederik van der Lely. In 1694 he married Rinske Gabesd, and one year later he became a freeman of the guild. The year of his death is not known, but it seems likely that he at least reached the age of 76.
Many of Johannes' objects are extant. They are lavishly decorated, rather small scale objects, for domestic use as well as objects for the Roman Catholic service. Stylisticaly Johannes was strongly influenced by the work of French architect and designer Daniel Marot (1661-1752), who had fled to the Netherlands in 1686 after the evocation of the edict of Nantes. Due to this influence many of Johannes' works were initially attributed to foreing silversmiths. Only from the second half of the 19th century the realization dawned up to experts that they were the work of Johannes van der Lely.
For comparative literature:
J.W. Frederiks, Dutch Silver I, The Hague, 1952, p. 521.
Exh. cat. Lelie in zilver. Van der Lely, zilversmeden te Leeuwarden 1574-1788, Leeuwarden, Fries Museum, 1989.