THE MUSEUM AAN HET VRIJTHOF | MUSEUM IN MAASTRICHT | Spaans Government Museum

Patrick Damiaens
Ornamental Woodcarver 

The Museum aan het Vrijthof in Maastricht (Netherlands)
 
Formerly Spanish Government Museum. 
The pictures were taken for the major restoration of 2010-2012.












Visiting Museums and Castles is Probably the main source of inspiration for the Ornamental Woodcarver.

These are places where the craftsman gets his ideas, he is looking for new challenges and always new unexpected surprises, and even after 25 years still feels something new to learn.
 

Exploring and studying ,looking at problems and how your colleagues 300 years ago solved them, their knowledge of  tasteful proportions used in the interior decoration and their knowledge of carving techniques.

 

In the 25 years that I am a ornamental woodcarver, you know by now where , and in which museum or castle, what kind of ornament, decoration style, character, quality is available . Or in which castle there is possible change to take pictures or .... when it is required too take notes or drawings .

In this blog item we visit the Museum aan het Vrijhof in Maastricht.

















Museum aan het Vrijthof takes its name from Maastricht's most familiar square, on witch the Museum occupies a prominent place. The Museum is located in a sixteenth-century chapter house called the Spanish Government House. 

The coats of arms above the windows on the first flour and the carved relief ornamented by portrait medallions of Charles V and his wife on the inner courtyard side recall the fact that this King of spain / German Kaizer / Duke of Brabant had his pied-à-terre in the Spanish Governement House. 

In the Museum aan het Vrijthof, the visitor can wander through the eighteenth-century period rooms to discover how the Maastricht elite lived in this period and to view the collection of eighteenth-century pistols, clocks, furniture and table silver made in the city of Maastricht. 

The museum aan het Vrijthof has regular exhibitions devoted to themes from five centuries of Maastricht arts and crafts.

The Museum aan het Vrijhof before the restoration of  2010-2012

 

More information Museum aan het Vrijhof  :  WEBSITE

Official WEBSITE OF THE MUSEUM

WEBSITE

THE TEFAF | THE EUROPEAN FINE ART FAIR | ANTIQUE FAIR IN MAASTRICHT

Patrick Damiaens
Ornamental Woodcarver

The Visit of
The European Fine Art Fair in Maastricht

The TEFAF

Visiting Museums and Castles is Probably the main source of inspiration for the Ornamental Woodcarver.
These are places where the craftsman gets his ideas, he is looking for new challenges and always new unexpected surprises, and even after 25 years still feels something new to learn.

Exploring and studying ,looking at problems and how your colleagues 300 years ago solved them, their knowledge of  tasteful proportions used in the interior decoration and their knowledge of carving techniques.

In the 25 years that I am carving ornaments, you know by now where , and in which museum or castle, what kind of ornament, decoration style, character, quality is available . Or in which castle there is possible change to take pictures or .... when it is required too take notes or drawings .

On an antique fair you just ask the exhibitor, he will usually allow you to take pictures, because he doesn’t know you and maybe, just maybe  you are a potential customer for him.

The European Fine Art Fair , The TEFAF

In this blog item we visit the TEFAF in Maastricht, over the years TEFAF has come to be recognized as the world's leading art and antiques fair. I should feeling really lucky that I only live 20 minutes from Maastricht and The TEFAF .

MALLETT From London

In 2012 TEFAF celebrated its 25th anniversary. Over the years TEFAF has come to be recognized as the world's leading art and antiques fair. As a visitor to TEFAF you will experience an event that offers an unsurpassed choice of the very best in fine art.

The Fair gives you a unique chance to view and to buy paintings from gold grounds to Anish Kapoor as well as objects reflecting 7,000 years of excellence in the decorative arts. A distinctive feature of TEFAF is its elegantly displayed genuine masterpieces offered by more than 260 of the world's most prestigious art and antiques dealers from 18 countries.

TEFAF has led the way in establishing proper vetting procedures, and they are still considered the most exacting. Twenty-nine vetting committees, made up of over 170 international experts in every field of art represented at the Fair, verify each and every object for quality, authenticity and condition, so visitors can always buy with confidence.

For directors and curators of major museums, as well as private collectors from around the world, a visit to TEFAF offers an opportunity to acquire some of the finest works still in private hands

Rembrandt

It is for the ornamental Woodcarver of great importance to have a lot of documentation, drawings and pictures , this source of inspiration can be consulted later by a possible restoration or reconstruction of ornaments.

In the creation and drawing of new ornaments and compositions  a comprehensive library of books and pictures is really necessary, this information gives the ornamental Woodcarver a greater freedom in drawing and design. 
A lot of  information (pictures) also contributes to the ornamental carver  a better understanding  of  the forms and characters that can be consult. And this together with a large amount of plaster casts and wooden examples you're already well on your way.

Here are some beautiful really beautiful ornaments, mirrors, frames , panelling that I have photographed the latest editions of the TEFAF .
Maybe also for you a source of inspiration.

WEBSITE

 Patrick Damiaens is member of

Pearls of Craftsmanship 

WEBSITE

THE RED HOUSE IN MONSCHAU | CARVED STAIRCASE IN OAK | 18TH CENTURY INTERIORS | ROCOCO INTERIORS

The Red House in Monschau

Patrick Damiaens
 Ornamental woodcarver

The RED HOUSE IN MONSCHAU (Germany)

The Red House was erected in the 1752 by Johann Heinrich Scheibler, clothmaker and merchant, as his residence and business domicile. Furnished entirely in Rococo, Louis XVI and Empire period styles, it reflects the splendor of upper middle class living embodied in an ensemble of rare unity.

Exquisite linen wallpaper in the study, emblazoned tableware on the dining room table, a kitchen replete with shining brass and copper kettles, salons boasting Aachen-Liège style bureaus, glass cabinets and comfortable lounge suites, a banquet hall adorned with valuable Gobelin tapestries, and bedrooms with cradles and washbowls take the visitor straight back into the 18th century. 
 

Idyllic Monschau on the river Rur

Entrance of 'The Red House of Monschau'

One world-famous feature of this building is the self-supporting oakwood spiral staircase extending over three floors and embellished with 21 small putto scenes depicting the various stages of clothmaking. In the old office rooms, two authentic cloth sample books comprising a total of 6,000 draft designs in various decors testify to the diversity and high quality of Scheibler's products, which were marketed throughout Europe in his day.

Carved staircase parts

Rococo style Carved staircase

Nowadays the Red House is a museum which visitors may view on guided tours. It is not only the sole remaining representative building belonging to a cloth manufacturer in the old town centre of Monschau, but also one of the most splendid buildings of them all. 

 The little town on the River Rur with its narrow streets and half-timbered houses blossomed in the 18th century. Here workers produced precious woollen material which was exported to countries as far away as Turkey and Russia. 

During the peak years there were around 4,000 to 6,000 spinners and weavers in the Eifel and the region around Limburg, all working at home for Scheibler´s company. In this way they were able to eke out a little extra to supplement their meagre farming income.

Interior of The Red House, Monschau

When mechanical production began to take over at the start of the 19th century, it attracted waves of people into the town in search of paid work. But the poor road communications and the difficulty firms experienced in expanding their businesses in the narrow Rur valley resulted in the cloth industry gradually moving away from the area. 

Now the Red House, more than anything else, stands as a reminded of the splendid period of textile production in Monschau.

Stiftung Scheibler-Museum
Rotes Haus Monschau
Laufenstr. 10
52156 Monschau
Phone: 02472-5071
Fax: 02472-9877604 Rotes-Haus@t-online.de

Opening hours: Good Friday - November 30 Tuesdays - Sunday Admission: every hour on the hour 10:00 and 11:00 a.m. 2:00, 3:00 and 4:00 p.m.

Admission charge: adults: € 3.00, students/children: free, school classes with guide per person: € 2,00

Information : Monschau Tourist information. Pictures of the interiors, Patrick Damiaens

https://www.patrickdamiaens.info

 

CARVING A GREEN MAN | Creating a GREEN MAN in Limewood | CARVED GREEN MAN

Green Man carving

Patrick Damiaens

Ornamental Woodcarver

GREEN MAN CARVING

 The different phases for creating a GREEN MAN in Limewood.

1 - The first job is to make a rough outline sketch using a red. The pattern may come from an original model (provided that any imperfections in it are removed), or a personal creation. My source was the Bamberg Green Man.

2 - The rough sketch of the Green Man is then completely rubbed out. The exact shape however, which is thickened with a lead pencil , is still preserved. Possible changes can still be done at this stage. This phase is very important (because a poor drawing  automatically means a poor end result).

3 - The correct design is redrawn on tracing paper and at the same time fixed onto the wood by means of drawing pins. The design is then transferred onto the wood using tracing paper and a scriber.The pattern of the Green Man can now be found on the wood.

Drawing of a Green Man

4 - Now we clue the limewood on a plate (MDF,..), the newspaper between wood and plate ensures us that the connection (when the Green Man is finished) will be smoothly.

5 - The actual carving can now take place. This phase is called modeling. Many years of study and in-depth experience are of crucial importance during this phase.

6 - This is the stage where we begin to notice the importance of being a good drawer. During the modeling stages the original drawing disappears. The pattern on the panel is later redrawn by means of a marker.

7 - The carving outlines are  traced correctly. At this stage wood chisels are used for drawing purposes. One should be careful not to carve into the surface, leaving the possibility to make some minor alterations when necessary.

8 - Excess wood surrounding the design is removed.

Carving of a Green Man

Carving a Green Man in Limewood

9 - This is the most important phase of the pattern, Green Man. Ornaments are measured to perfection. A proper understanding of the depth and character of the ornament and the ability to estimate the maximum depth of the ornament (Green Man) are essential, as are routine and experience in handling the material. 

The use of plaster models and visual material can be very useful during this stage.

green man carving

GREEN MAN CARVING PART 1

 

 GREEN MAN CARVING PART 2

More information about wood carvings and ornaments

WEBSITE Green Man Carving