User:Mandy.franca
Mandy Franca
New light on a old staircase by Ada Elzbieta Grochowska
Chosen Object
I chose the stairs in the Boijmans museum. It fascinated me that the object was placed behind glass what suggest that is it valuable and fragile. On the website of the boijmans van Beuningen museum is stated that it is probably made in 1700 and in the museum it self in 1660 so that raised some questions for me if the museum does not even have the correct dates.
Staircase of a house on the Vijverberg in The Hague,'1700?' Sculptor: Willem van Sundert (Den Haag 1656 - Den Haag 1747) Client: Simon de Brienne (Jouy le Châtel - Den Haag 1707) Material and technology: linden- en eikenhout Object type: trap Dimensio)
Research
About the piece
The staircase in the Museum Boijmans van Beuningen consist of three flights, joined by two quarter landings. It has a continuous carved balustrade made up of nine panels, four sloping and five horizontal, of flowing acanthus scrolls. Each panel was designed from the middle axe. The decoration consists of stylized animals heads transforming into elaborate acanthus scrolls. The composition of horizontal panels is strictly symmetrical.
Three panels, one at the first landing and two on the first floor, have two eagles’ heads, facing away from each other, holding a garland in their beaks. The two panels on the first floor are alternated with two longer ones of analogical composition but with dolphins instead of eagles. From their mouth flow out thick scrolls suggesting water. The sloping panels are symmetrical in general composition but not in details. The incorporate handwork next to two eagles’ heads and acanthus. Two panels have flat handwork and are enriched by snakes at the sides. The other two have profiled handwork and no snakes. The finals of the first floor differ from those situated on the landings and flights of stair. The former are much bigger and decorated with acanthus leaves an pea-pod, whereas the latter have simple rosettes at the top and the sides.
