Inspired by late 17th c. bird ceilings. Two new painted ceilings on antique floorboards for a 1670’s Herengracht monument,
"Le Rappel des Oiseaux" ( or Hidden Birds ).
a new set of ceiling paintings for Herengracht 574.
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Painted birds in full flight on some recently discovered 17th century Amsterdam ceilings, were inspiration for two newly designed paintings done on over one hundred pieces of antique floorboard, now suspended between the beams of a 1670’s Herengracht monument.
"... In recent years 17th century birds have been discovered behind wood, paint or plaster on several locations... To me there is something strikingly appropriate about these animals resurfacing in a time of biodiversity crises ..... "
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Kestrel
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Barn owl Wings
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These new ceiling paintings are about birds that have been stuck behind paint, wood or wallpaper for centuries, slightly deformed - or choreographed like flowers in an herbarium.
Two new ceilings in the front room of a Herengracht monument,
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Kingfisher, Blue Heron and ceiling beam.
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Mute swan
with Green finch and Linnets.
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HIDDEN BIRDS.
Having flying birds painted above your head on the floor boards between the ceiling beams, enjoyed a short two decades of being highly fashionable roughly between 1660 and ‘80. But, as fashions do, eventually they go out of style and in the following centuries most if not all of these vivid birds in and around Amsterdam were covered, either by elaborately carved rococo ceilings, 19th century plaster or even simply overpainted.
REVIVING A GENRE.
So when the current owner set out to restore her newly acquired 1670’s canal palazzo as a family home, after decades of it having been used as bank office stripped of its original floors and all but every historic detail of its interior, one of my first proposals was obvious.
Doing a new interpretation of a 17th c Amsterdam bird ceiling had been a long cherished dream, and this seemed the perfect occasion. A house from this date could once have held such a ceiling. There is no way of knowing if it actually did, and I really like that idea.
Having flying birds painted above your head on the floor boards between the ceiling beams, enjoyed a short two decades of being highly fashionable roughly between 1660 and ‘80. But, as fashions do, eventually they go out of style and in the following centuries most if not all of these vivid birds in and around Amsterdam were covered, either by elaborately carved rococo ceilings, 19th century plaster or even simply overpainted.
REVIVING A GENRE.
So when the current owner set out to restore her newly acquired 1670’s canal palazzo as a family home, after decades of it having been used as bank office stripped of its original floors and all but every historic detail of its interior, one of my first proposals was obvious.
Doing a new interpretation of a 17th c Amsterdam bird ceiling had been a long cherished dream, and this seemed the perfect occasion. A house from this date could once have held such a ceiling. There is no way of knowing if it actually did, and I really like that idea.
Grey Heron and grass snake
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Eurasian Rollers on the second ceiling.
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Some years ago a mid 18th century ceiling painting was removed from its frame for restauration, revealing behind it an older ceiling filled with birds for the first time in centuries. Eighteenth century fashion had changed the taste for these kind of decorations into a more classical orientated and idealized imagery, while Amsterdam had changed from a city of tradesmen and shipping companies into an economy of bankers and shareholders, people with an urge to show off a certain amount of cultural bagage. A process also known as the artistocratization of the Dutch merchant elite.
In recent years seventeenth century painted birds have been discovered behind wood, paint or plaster on several locations.
In recent years seventeenth century painted birds have been discovered behind wood, paint or plaster on several locations.
Grey Heron - Ardea cinerea
and ceiling beam,
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Starlings - Sturnus vulgaris
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Hoopoes - Upupa epops
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“Le rappèl des Oiseaux” - a title derived from one of Rameau’s compositions.
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Osprey with Perch and Barn swallow
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Kestrels.
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Hoopoes
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The Mute Swan.
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Barn owls
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Spotted Woodpecker
These new ceiling paintings are about birds that have been stuck behind paint, wood or wallpaper for centuries, slightly deformed - or choreographed like flowers in an herbarium.
Barn swallow
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Foliage
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Greater Bird of Paradis as a stuffed skin
Just had to include one in this ceiling for several reasons.
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The Lay Out ..
Over 350 painted floorboards installed.
Over 350 painted floorboards installed.
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The two new Herengracht ceilings Lay-out -
The lighter grey fields are the painting areas.
Like classic ceiling painting cartouches, yet an integral part of a vast field of floorboards
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17th century birds as inspiration.
Recently rediscovered ceilings.
Recently rediscovered ceilings.
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Stratification…
A ceiling with 17th c. birds visible for a short while, as the 18th c painted canvas covering it underneath was taken out of its rococo frame for restoration. Some weeks later these 350 year old animals would be covered again, hidden in the dark once more for centuries to come.
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This idea was taken as inspiration for the new ceilings at Herengracht 574.
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Another ensemble of 1670's birds being uncovered in 2020 / 21
in an Amsterdam Country Estate
's Graveland
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IV
Another ceiling
Linear patterns for the garden room.
Linear patterns for the garden room.
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The five meter high ceiling of the garden room / kitchen.
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Ermines, Rabbits and Mice.
An Arabesque Maze.
An Arabesque Maze.
Because in some houses you just can't stop thinking
about what more could be done on a ceiling.
These rough sketches of Rabbits and Ermines were the initial proposal for the seventy square meter garden room.
We're still in love with the idea
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Still in love
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