Lot Essay
This charger can be described as a sophisticated commemoration piece offered as a gift on the 22th of april 1635. Usually Netherlandish maiolica is lead-glazed to the back. This luxurious piece has been tin-glazed to the front and to the back as well. The last mention of an Antwerp production is 1631. It is very possible that Antwerp potters moved to the North, e.g.: Rotterdam, inspired by Italianate engravings in casu: etchings or woodcuts by Frans Floris from Antwerp.
1. Research of the print
cf. N. Bailler, Chiaroscuro Woodcuts - Hendrick Goltzius Rijksprentenkabinet, p. 77 (no 21 I and II, inv. no 65649)
F.w.H. Hollstein, Dutch and Flemish etchings, VI, p. 252
W.L. Strauss, Chiaroscuro, the Clair-obscur woodcuts by the German and Netherlandish masters of the XVI th and XVII th century, p. 102 (Floris)
C. van de Velde, Frans Floris (1519 - 1570) Leven en werken (Verhandeling van de Koninklijke Academie voor Wetenschappen, Letteren en schone Kunsten van België, Klasse der schone Kunsten), vol. 37, no 30
Frans Floris was born in Antwerp in 1518. He was a pupil of Lambert Lombard in Liège, 1536. He lived in Rome from 1541 - 1547 and came back to Antwerp in 1547, where he died in 1570.
We are grateful to Drs. Chr. Schuckman for his help in the research of this print.
2. Research of the fragment
In 1962 the hereby illustrated fragment was found at the construction site of the Old Bijenkorf department store, at the corner of the Schiedamse Vest and the Blaak (Coolsingel) in Rotterdam. This was located at 150 meters from the Rotterdam maiolica manufactories (plateelbakkerijen). This fragment which has not been fully attributed yet to Rotterdam is kept at the depot of the Rotterdams Historisch museum, Rotterdam.
We wish to emphasize that; the chequered tile-floor, the facial expression, the colouring and the style of this fragment are very akin to the charger. Furthermore the reverse is dated 1635 as well. Unfortunately Rotterdam maiolica has not been thoroughly researched yet. Perhaps this charger and this fragment could prove to form a missing link in the development of Rotterdam and proto Delft maiolica. Hoynck van Papendrecht in Het oude Noord Nederlandse majolica in het museum van Oudheden te Rotterdam and De Rotterdamse Plateel- and tegelbakkerijen en hun product mentions the year 1612 as the earliest plateelbakkerij in Rotterdam and stresses the influence of Spanish and Italian maiolica in this city.
We are grateful to Mr. Ch. Thiels, head collections of the Historisch Museum Rotterdam for his help in the research of the illustrated fragment.
See illustration of the front and the reverse of both the charger and the fragment
1. Research of the print
cf. N. Bailler, Chiaroscuro Woodcuts - Hendrick Goltzius Rijksprentenkabinet, p. 77 (no 21 I and II, inv. no 65649)
F.w.H. Hollstein, Dutch and Flemish etchings, VI, p. 252
W.L. Strauss, Chiaroscuro, the Clair-obscur woodcuts by the German and Netherlandish masters of the XVI th and XVII th century, p. 102 (Floris)
C. van de Velde, Frans Floris (1519 - 1570) Leven en werken (Verhandeling van de Koninklijke Academie voor Wetenschappen, Letteren en schone Kunsten van België, Klasse der schone Kunsten), vol. 37, no 30
Frans Floris was born in Antwerp in 1518. He was a pupil of Lambert Lombard in Liège, 1536. He lived in Rome from 1541 - 1547 and came back to Antwerp in 1547, where he died in 1570.
We are grateful to Drs. Chr. Schuckman for his help in the research of this print.
2. Research of the fragment
In 1962 the hereby illustrated fragment was found at the construction site of the Old Bijenkorf department store, at the corner of the Schiedamse Vest and the Blaak (Coolsingel) in Rotterdam. This was located at 150 meters from the Rotterdam maiolica manufactories (plateelbakkerijen). This fragment which has not been fully attributed yet to Rotterdam is kept at the depot of the Rotterdams Historisch museum, Rotterdam.
We wish to emphasize that; the chequered tile-floor, the facial expression, the colouring and the style of this fragment are very akin to the charger. Furthermore the reverse is dated 1635 as well. Unfortunately Rotterdam maiolica has not been thoroughly researched yet. Perhaps this charger and this fragment could prove to form a missing link in the development of Rotterdam and proto Delft maiolica. Hoynck van Papendrecht in Het oude Noord Nederlandse majolica in het museum van Oudheden te Rotterdam and De Rotterdamse Plateel- and tegelbakkerijen en hun product mentions the year 1612 as the earliest plateelbakkerij in Rotterdam and stresses the influence of Spanish and Italian maiolica in this city.
We are grateful to Mr. Ch. Thiels, head collections of the Historisch Museum Rotterdam for his help in the research of the illustrated fragment.
See illustration of the front and the reverse of both the charger and the fragment