BY PIET ELLING, COLOUR APPLICATION BY BART VAN DER LECK, CIRCA 1925

BETWEEN 1912-1916 THE PAINTER AND INTERIOR DESIGNER BART VAN DER LECK (1876-1958) WAS COMMISSIONED BY THE FIRM OF MULLER & CO. TO DESIGN INTERIORS FOR PROJECTS SUCH AS 'HOLLAND HOUSE' IN LONDON AND THE 'SCHIPBORG' IN ZUIDLAREN (BOTH 1915, ARCHITECT H.P. BERLAGE). IN THE FOLLOWING YEARS HE DESIGNED INTERIORS FOR HLNE KRLLER-MLLER FOR THE 'JACHTSLOT SINT HUBERTUS' (1919/20. ARCHITECT H.P. BERLAGE). BETWEEN 1929-1951 HE WORKED ON AN IRREGULAR BASIS FOR THE FIRM OF METZ & CO. FOR WHICH HE DESIGNED NOT ONLY CARPETS BUT WHERE HE WAS INVOLVED, TOGETHER WITH WILLEM PENAAT IN THE DESIGNING OF INTERIORS FOR HOUSES.

THIS DESK WAS MADE ESPECIALLY FOR MRS. VAN GRONINGEN, THE GRANDMOTHER OF THE PRESENT OWNER. MRS. VAN GRONINGEN AND BART VAN DER LECK'S WIFE, BERTHA VAN DER LECK-TEERINK, WERE FRIENDS AND THEIR CHILDREN WENT TO SCHOOL TOGETHER.

SEE COLOUR ILLUSTRATION