interest. There are no wonderful decorated rain-water heads such as
may be seen elsewhere, and lead heads, when used at all, are for the
most part comparatively plain, square projections. The examples from
Zutphen, reproduced on page 122, illustrate two ordinary forms. An
interesting feature, prevalent in North Holland, is the lead finial
placed at the apex of a hipped roof. There are many examples in the
streets of Hoorn, three of which are shown on page 124. Notice should
be taken of the delicate little fretwork heads; the repoussé patterns
on the upright sides; and the iron vane which surmounts one of the
examples. These objects, although of little practical use, have a
decorative value that well justifies their existence. In all these
exterior features and details, whether executed in wood or stone,
metal or brick, there is especial evidence of the type of mind that
was concerned with their production; they pertinently give the key to
temperament and character. Such work resulted from deliberate thought
and calculation, rather than from imaginative impulse. Sometimes
it verged on dulness, yet there is always traceable a certain solid
strength and vigour. This is well seen in the stone carvings, here
illustrated, whose subjects are often lacking in originality or follow
some oft-repeated theme. They are excellently carved, however, and
attain interest in consequence. For the individuality of the masons
is reflected in the inanimate stone. They gave life to their work
and freshness to old subjects. Each man followed his own bent. Some
were a little in advance of their time, some behind it, so there are
endless variations to patterns that superficially agree. A new turn
was given to a scroll here, a different arrangement there; just small
things that served to raise work from the conventional and commonplace.
The olden craftsmen respected tradition. Forms that became established
by custom were handed down from generation to generation. Certain
ornaments continued to be used, almost unaltered, over a very long
period. Not that patterns were slavishly followed; on the contrary,
each man gave his own interpretation of what he knew had served
so well, and fashioned his work in his own way. But he remembered
something of that which had gone before. Traditions of ornamentation
were just as much founded upon accumulated experience as were the
main styles of architecture. The worker saw around him the forces of
Nature, active yet unchanging, the abiding waterways, the ancient
churches standing as they had done in times long past, and it was
in a spirit of respect for the permanence of spiritual and material
things that he pursued his craft. This was altogether good. Methods
of workmanship, the treatment of features, and types of enrichment,
were gradually evolved. They were governed by ordered principles that
slowly grew together and became established, principles that served
to check the introduction of inharmonious innovations which would
have been out of sympathy with all those forms that, as a whole,
were customary and usual.
Doorways, windows, gables and ornaments, therefore, by their
particular appearance, mark various steps in a long-continued process
of development. Period followed period. After the pointed-arched
doorways came the circular-headed; gables of simple outline in course
of time became more complex; fashions in the shaping of wall-ties
changed. But nothing happened suddenly. Craftsmen were content to
solve their own problems without any show of haste. It was by such
methods that incongruities were avoided.
The national temperament always asserted itself and each individual
as he carved his stone, laid his bricks, worked his wood, or wrought
his iron, did his small part to keep alive the inherited traditions,
and pass them on so that they should be vigorous to meet the needs
of future generations.
The ornamental features that appear on the exterior walls impart to
the buildings of Holland much of that quaintness for which they are
distinguished. Although the decorations are so plentifully applied,
they do not often appear misplaced or offend the eye. For the natural
conditions of the country have always been peculiar. The low-lying
lands and ever-present water demand a special type of architecture
which shall be in thorough sympathy with the surroundings, as well
as outwardly express the character of those people who live amongst
them. Much is possible and good in Holland which would be out of place,
or even bad, elsewhere. The many houses, appearing where they do, are
admirably conceived. Rich with ornaments, date panels, little carvings,
mosaics and ironwork--such as are shown by the illustrations in this
section--with coloured bricks fashioned in many ways, and doorways
and windows highly decorated, they cannot fail to appeal to those
who see them in their natural environment. There is a personal note
about each dwelling. They are houses that look like homes, places to
be treasured by succeeding generations. And the evidences of pride
of possession to be seen in the isolated panels carved with arms,
dates and inscriptions, or similar motives worked around doorways,
especially give to the brick and stone-built walls a home-like and
fireside quality. Students of English architecture will have observed
how homely ideas affected the appearance of the houses of Holland
just as they did those of England. Similar sentiments obtained in both
countries and indirectly brought kindred features to the buildings.
It requires but little imagination to people once again the streets
and waterways with men and women and of their lives are on every
hand. The stones they lovingly caused to be carved are there; the
heavy studded doors that yielded to their hands are still framed by
old entrance ways. The work was done that it should last and yet it
stands, solid and good. The glory of the house may have departed;
yet there still remains the material record of lives well-spent and
duties well-performed. And in this the carved monograms and dates
are full of meaning.
DIVISION III
INTERIORS AND DECORATION
There are, within the old buildings of Holland, interior effects of
rare charm. They are hidden away from the outer world behind high
gabled fronts of sober houses, beyond the thresholds of country
farms. These interiors are rich in memories of the past. They tell
of bygone times and bring vivid pictures of civic and home life to
the imagination. Solidly built, they were erected with due thought to
permanence, that they should stand from generation to generation; that
men's memories might be honoured by their children and their children's
children. That it should be continuous and abiding was the keynote
of the old work which to this day is fresh and beautiful, full of
life and vitality, although the makers of it have long since gone and
are forgotten. And while things were made to be durable, so also were
they made to please the eye and gratify the senses. Good construction,
accompanied by much enrichment, gave results tending towards extreme
elaboration. Rooms became imposing by their massive ceiling beams
supported by sculptured corbels; panelling, or maybe Spanish leather
or tapestry, upon the walls; carved oaken doors; fireplaces in wood
and stone adorned with columns, figures and other devices; coloured
tiles of many patterns; cast-iron firebacks and wrought metalwork;
panels of painted glass in the windows; floors of oak, veined marble,
or glazed quarries; brass candelabrums hanging from the ceilings,
with movable furniture and ornaments disposed in many places.
A good impression of a seventeenth-century room may be gathered from
the accompanying illustration from Dordrecht (page 128). The walls are
panelled in oak up to a certain height; above is a deep white frieze,
admirably adapted for displaying the blue-and-white ware and pictures
which rest against it. The chimney-piece is sumptuous, alternately gay
and sober, charming below the mantel with brightly-coloured tiles and
shining metal utensils, dignified above with panelling and projecting
frieze. Forming the dividing line between mantel and fireplace is
a mantel-cloth of blue material, inscribed with the homely maxim
"Oost West, Thuis Best," and bearing a brace of crossed tobacco-pipes
worked at each end of it. A good specimen of a brass candelabrum
is attached to the central ceiling beam, while the floor is covered
with matting. Solid oak furniture, massive and heavy, completes this
picture of material comfort and pleasantness. Equally characteristic
is the room at Leeuwarden (page 129). Similar features will be
observed--panelling and carved woodwork; ceiling joists and beams,
which are here supported by moulded corbels; blue-and-white ware,
tiles, and a blue velvet mantel-cloth. The hearth is of squares of
black and white marble. Upon it stands a copper fire-holder; behind
is a cast-iron fireback adorned with an armorial subject. In the
lead-glazed window are two circular panels of painted glass.
Another example of a brass candelabrum, similar to the one
above-mentioned, is shown by the drawing from Haarlem (page 127). It
is of a type that was customary. Many such still exist in old-world
rooms, suspended from high ceilings by chains or rods. Apart from
their uses for purposes of illumination, they are highly successful as
centre ornaments, for it will be seen how effectively they were made,
with curved decorated brackets branching from shaped shafts. Patterns
are various, but there are certain essentials common to all and a
general resemblance between each. Thus, a particularly beautiful
candelabrum in the Town Hall at Zwolle, with an image of the Virgin
and pierced, leaf-like brackets, is but an elaboration of the simple
familiar form. Some carry three lights only, ordinarily there are
ten or twelve; while an example noticed at Haarlem, with twenty-seven
candles, probably represents the extreme capacity of this old-fashioned
system of lighting.
Of interior features, first in importance come the fireplaces. Great
thought was given to the decoration of them, the appearance of many
being rich beyond description. Numerous kinds of materials were used
for their adornment; brick and stone, wood, marble and slate, coloured
tiles and terra-cotta, all giving value to the imposing compositions.
And although the materials were so various, they were skilfully
combined to produce harmonious results. Fireplaces were brought forward
from the walls and not set back within them. The openings were of ample
size, wide and high. The jambs, enriched with mouldings or appearing as
columns, supported massive hoods that extended upwards to the ceiling.
The fireplace at Maastricht (page 131) is a good specimen of the late
Gothic type. It belongs to the year 1510, this date being carved
on the centre scroll. Upon the sandstone jambs are worked Gothic
mouldings which spring from shaped stops resting on square bases. The
broad frieze is rich with carvings of angels, conventional flowers,
cusps, and two shields, bearing the arms of Maastricht and Liège. The
rear of the opening is lined with pressed terra-cotta tiles that
exhibit a variety of designs in low relief. Against it is set an
iron fireback ornamented with a heraldic device. The wooden figures
on the mantel-shelf are merely placed thereon and are not inherent
to the design.
Details of fireplaces changed with the passing of Gothic influences,
although the olden form was still retained. Classic columns, or
less frequently, human figures and grotesques, were substituted for
moulded jambs. They commonly supported a carved oak frieze surmounted
by a projecting cornice. Such chimney-pieces are by no means rare in
Holland and may generally be ascribed to the seventeenth century. One,
from Leeuwarden, has already been illustrated on page 129. Another
example, from Middelburg, is here given (page 133). The columns are of
white marble, but the jambs behind them, together with the bases and
corbels, are of slate and are decorated with strapwork patterns. The
oak mantel is inlaid with bands and panels of light wood. Tiles of
blue, white and yellow cover the back, and border the upright sides
of the iron hearth.
The chimney-piece at Amsterdam (page 130) is of an unusual pattern. It
is situated in the room of the Bricklayers' Guild and is of early
seventeenth-century workmanship. The opening is framed of stone. Over
the mantel-shelf is a curved pediment with the arms of Amsterdam
carved upon it. Fitted to the chimney-breast above is a small oval
painted panel enclosed by brickwork.
The fireplace from the Westerwold (page 135), now at Groningen, belongs
to a later period than the preceding example. A wooden chimney-shelf
and pilasters, almost black in colour, support the tapering hood. The
back of the fireplace is faced with blue-and-white tiles and red
bricks. A protecting fireback rests against it, while a hanger,
hooked within the opening, holds the metal pot over the fire. The
effect of this fireplace and its accessories, admirably decorative in
themselves, is further enhanced by the pure white surrounding walls,
and by the parti-coloured floor laid with red and yellow quarries.
Cast-iron firebacks have been noticed in the previous illustrations.
They were generally used where fires burned on open hearths. The
castings are rather light and thin, and were taken from wooden models.
They are ornamented with floral and heraldic subjects, or designs
suggested by classical myths and bible stories. Of the four examples
illustrated on pages 132 and 134, two have armorial bearings,
surrounded by rich borders, cast upon them. The one from Leiden is
dated 1609, and the other, from Nijmegen, 1650. Both of the remaining
specimens from Jisp and Middelburg, are decorated with figure subjects,
bordered by fruit and scrolls and flowers. All the work is in rather
low relief.
Fuel, in the form of peat or charcoal, was responsible for certain
utensils in which it could be conveniently burned. One such is given on
page 139. It is an iron fire-standard suited for holding peat, and was
drawn in the Museum at Dordrecht. The lines of the design are good,
especially to be observed in the engaged scrolls and shaping of the
top. It is, withal, serviceably made. Small boxes containing fire,
placed upon the floor in front of chairs, served as foot-warmers
(page 148). They are of square or oval shape. The sides are frequently
patterned and the lids perforated. Fires were also contained in iron
pots which stood upon oak stools within the fireplaces; or they burned
in little iron hearths, which were set towards the centre of the rooms,
with no provision made for carrying away the smoke. The former system
is exemplified by the drawing from Leeuwarden (page 137), and the
latter by an illustration from a cottage at Marken (page 136).
A small crane is often seen attached to the back of the fireplace. A
kettle or pot rests upon it, which might, if desired, be swung over or
away from the fire. The specimen here reproduced (page 136) is from
Leeuwarden. It has one simple movement, that of swinging backwards
and forwards. The curved arm is made of brass, and shaped to resemble
a fish. Out of the mouth comes the iron kettle-holder with a small
chain affixed, handy for drawing it to and fro. Allied to the crane,
and used for a similar purpose, is the hanger that was suspended from
the flue. The two specimens appearing on page 139 are from Middelburg,
and both are constructed of iron. They can be made to hang high or
low, one by means of a ratchet, and the other by a catch, which fits
into pierced holes and is shown in detail.
The set of fire-irons, also from Middelburg (page 139), furnishes
admirable examples of useful objects, suitably adorned. The plate
to which the fire-irons hang, with scallop-like indentations at its
upper edge, is enriched with incised decoration, depicting a ship,
trees, birds, letters, and the date of 1787. The tongs at the extreme
left are so fashioned that one arm, being hollow, may be used as a
blowpipe. Next in order is a ladle adapted for scooping up ashes from
the hearth. Upon the flat handle is further incised ornamentation,
based upon floral motives. The central object is a blowpipe, and a
second pair of tongs completes the set. With the exception of some
of the ends and terminations, which are of brass, these implements
are made of iron, brightly polished.
In the glazed tiles, inseparably associated with Delft and other
places in Holland, the Dutch had admirable material for interior
decoration. Some tiles were pure white; others had conventional floral
forms painted upon them. Many, again, were decorated with devices
derived from scriptural, nautical, rural, historical, and classical
sources. Units such as these, beautiful in themselves, were capable
of giving lively and gay effects when arranged together. How
satisfactorily they were used will have been already observed
in the fireplaces previously described.
But, apart from giving value to fireplaces, they were employed
in other ways. Notable rooms are to be seen whose good appearance
depends primarily upon the skilful manipulation of tiles. Two such are
illustrated, one in colour (opposite). They are from Hindeloopen, and
are now in the Frisian Museum at Leeuwarden. The original woodwork of
the coloured drawing belongs to the seventeenth century. The back of
the fireplace, as well as the walls surrounding it, is faced entirely
with tiles from floor to ceiling. Those towards the floor have blue and
white patterns upon them; above, and in the window recess, they are
white but for the narrow blue borders round the angles. These tiles
were made at Makkum. Upon the floor are glazed quarries of red and
black, laid in alternate colours. The room of the other illustration
(page 137) dates from the eighteenth century. It has similar tiles
on the walls and quarries on the floor. Floors were also laid with
other coloured quarries, blue and green and yellow; while in larger
houses stone and marble were employed with pleasing results.
Panelling was by no means infrequently applied to interior walls. It
was often marked by elaboration rather than simplicity, although
there are not wanting examples of rooms wainscoted with plain framed
woodwork divided into panels by stiles and rails. Of ornamental panels
there are certain definite kinds. Characteristic are those adorned
with linen-fold patterns. Another design that was favoured is shown
in the illustration taken from Zwolle (page 138), where carved vine
ornaments appear between two curved and moulded scrolls set back to
back. This particular example is attributed to the beginning of the
sixteenth century. At a later date round-headed arches and pilasters
were introduced, such as those exemplified from Leiden on this page,
as well as carved friezes and moulded cornices. It is remarkable
to note the great similarity between the development of panelling
in Holland and in England. The earlier patterns employed in both
countries are practically identical, while Dutch seventeenth-century
woodwork bears great resemblance to that of our Jacobean period.
Wooden doors harmonised with the wainscot of the walls. They were
divided into panels and often richly carved. Doorways were given
importance by the pilasters and cornices that surrounded them. The
door from Groningen (below) furnishes a seventeenth-century specimen,
elaborately carved with forms peculiar to the time.
The metal fittings attached to doors--locks, bolts, hinges, handles,
and the like--are of good design and workmanship. Two lock-plates
(page 143), from the Rijks Museum at Amsterdam, belong to the sixteenth
century. They are both made of iron. One, bearing the date of 1587,
is decorated with projecting ornaments; the other is adorned with
applied metalwork, pierced and carved. Further examples of iron
door-furniture, simply but effectively treated, are illustrated by
the handle from Middelburg and the bolt from Dordrecht (page 143).
A feature common to Dutch rooms is the small cupboard in the wall,
wherein many and sundry articles were stored. The recess is sometimes
merely covered by a curtain that may be drawn to and fro, such as can
be seen at the left hand of the window in the coloured reproduction
from Leeuwarden given here. But generally a wooden door was fitted to
the opening. Some of these doors, with one or two panels, are quite
plainly made. Others, highly decorated with carvings and metalwork,
furnish examples of beautiful craftsmanship. Two are here illustrated
(pages 143 and 144), which show how well and cunningly artificers in
wood and metal exercised their skill. Both are of sixteenth-century
workmanship, and are now in the Rijks Museum. Apart from the good
wood-carving, the ironwork on each is notable. The three hinges,
attached to the larger door, all have peculiarly graceful branched
terminations; while the hinge of the second example is pierced and
engraved with a floral pattern. The lock-plates, also, are admirably
devised.
The further illustration of a Hindeloopen room from Leeuwarden (page
141) is especially interesting, for around the walls are cupboard-like
apartments that afforded accommodation for sleeping. They are closed by
wooden doors which have open-work panels at their heads to permit the
passage of air. The beds, resembling a ship's berths, are reached by
flights of steps, two of which will be seen in the reproduction. These
steps are movable and curiously shaped and painted, as is demonstrated
by the flight in the foreground with its side boards made to imitate
birds and flowers. Other old Dutch interiors--cheerful with coloured
plates, tiles and quarries, shining brass and carved woodwork--furnish
instances of this particular disposition of sleeping accommodation.
The old furniture was of a kind that well harmonised with the fitted
woodwork and other decorations of the rooms. It is not unusual to find
pieces of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries amid surroundings
similar to those for which they were originally intended. The rooms
at Dordrecht (page 128) and Groningen (page 135) both have suitable
furniture that valuably contributes to the success of the schemes. All
is more or less directly useful; rooms were not crowded with objects
that were neither utilitarian nor good to look upon. Most commonly
occurring are chairs and tables, chests and cabinets. The earlier
oak work was jointed and pegged together. It was very solidly made
and ornamented in a reasonable way. Some of the large cabinets offer
splendid examples of skilful handiwork, and an elaborate specimen,
from Haarlem, appears on page 145. Two characteristic tables are
also illustrated, one from Edam (page 145) and one from Amsterdam
(page 146). In the eighteenth century it became the fashion in certain
parts of Holland to heavily paint fitted and movable furniture with
coloured patterns, the natural beauty of the wood being thus obscured.
All kinds of objects were ornamented, and in a somewhat amateurish way.
The favoured motifs were floral scrolls, little flowers, birds and
animals, scriptural scenes, with pastoral and sea views.
Brass was much used in the making of domestic utensils. Familiar
objects for many purposes were fashioned of this material. Brightly
polished and shining, they were quite in accord with the prevailing
gayness of the rooms and well harmonised with the fitted woodwork,
furniture, tiles and other metalwork. Fireplaces were adorned with
sundry articles of brass, some being purely ornamental, others
achieving some useful mission. The brass chimney-crane (page 136)
belongs to this latter class, as does the fire-side set reproduced on
page 147. The latter is a particularly handy contrivance, for, being
movable, it can be transferred from room to room. The stand takes the
form of a baluster stem which rests upon an ornamental basic tripod; it
is surmounted by a circular attachment that supports the kettle. Upon
three curved arms, branching outwardly, the brush and tongs and shovel
are hooked. This set is of eighteenth-century workmanship. The stand
is 1 foot 11-1/2 inches high, the tongs 23 inches long, the brush 21
inches long, and the shovel 23 inches long. An example of the portable
foot-warmers for placing on the floor in front of chairs, such as have
been already mentioned, is here illustrated (page 148). It is made of
brass and has eight sides. Each upright side decorated with repoussé
work, circular bosses alternating with panels of flowers. The slightly
curved top has a medallion in the centre, engraved with the letters
and date "i. w. hm. 1733." It is surrounded with floral scrolls,
geometrically arranged, and between the patterns are pierced holes
through which the heat is distributed.