Dutch Delftware plaque

This 18th century Delft plaque is in perfect condition. The plaque contains a painted scene of exceptional quality, inspired by the prints of Jan Luyken. The scene is beautifully framed with rococo curls and seashell motives. The plaque was made by “De Grieksche A” factory under the leadership of Jan van den Briel. Van den Briel was the owner of the “De Grieksche A” factory from 1768 until his death in 1785.

Luyken was a printmaker and mostly known for his book published in 1964 “Het menselyk Bedryf”. His son Caspar Luyken was a printmaker like his father and worked on the book as well. The book contains 100 prints of different crafts, all accompanied by a fitting poem. Luyken was a Mennonite and his beliefs resound in the poems, which have a Biblical background and contain a strong moral.

The scene on the plaque is inspired by three different prints from Luyken’s book: “De Zyreeder” (the spinner), “De Verwer” (the textile painter) and “De Bleeker” (the bleacher). The female figure on the left is inspired by Luyken’s print of the spinner, she is pictured next to a basket filled with stockings and a pair in her hands as well. The basket raises suspicion that Luyken’s print was not the only print used as inspiration for this figure. A print by Geertruyt Roghman, from a series of prints of housewives and their tasks dating around ca. 1750, also bares similarities to this figure on the plaque.

The figure in the middle of the scene is inspired by Luyken’s print of the textile painter. The figure on the right is inspired by his print of the bleacher. The stockings pictured in the background of the scene, as well as the depiction of the spinner, the textile painter and the bleacher, make it likely that the scene depicts a stocking factory.

Another remarkable detail are the initials “MH:HA” at the bottom of the scene. They could be the initials of the patron of the plaque, however these objects were often gifts so the initials could possibly belong to the recipient as well.