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Jan de Greef www.cultureelerfgoed.nl

Space is Emotion

By 08-08-2017

One Week About Architecture by curator SchilderScholte architects

How tasteful can a dining room be, that’s what you ask yourself right away when you see this photo. One person will recognize the space immediately, whereas another one may not recognize it at all. Do you recognize the image? Perhaps you may feel the confusion that is caused by the furnishing of the interior: sober and subdued, although with some allure.

Just look at that beautiful large tapestry! The scene depicts a West Indies ship, surrounded by the flora and fauna of the West Indies. Would you buy such a tapestry yourself or do you get it as a gift? It turns out to be a gift from the Dutch Antilles, created by the Dutch designer Hildegard Hum-Fischer.

The biggest eye-catcher might well be the carpet, with scenes of birds and luxuriant vegetation. Or maybe the clay plaster reliefs by F.J. van Hall, one of which is just visible behind the hanging lamp above the dining table? Perhaps this lamp reveals the occupant (s) who used this dining room. Would this ‘crown lamp’ have been chosen by queen regent Emma herself? With this knowledge, the image suddenly becomes very different and confusion gives way to dismay: so this is where our King used to eat a sandwich with his grandmother at her dining table.

Location: dining room, Soestdijk Palace
Interior architect: Jan de Greef