“SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY DUTCH INTERIOR.” from an oil painting by BARON J. A. HENDRIK LEYS.
(In the Ryks Museum, Amsterdam.)
Of interior features, first in importance come the fireplaces. Great thought was given to the decoration of them, the appearance of many being rich beyond description. Numerous kinds of materials were used for their adornment; brick and stone, wood, marble and slate, coloured tiles and terra-cotta, all giving value to the imposing compositions. And although the materials were so various, they were skilfully combined to produce harmonious results. Fireplaces were brought forward from the walls and not set back within them. The openings were of ample size, wide and high. The jambs, enriched with mouldings or appearing as columns, supported massive hoods that extended upwards to the ceiling.
FIREPLACE FROM MAASTRICHT, LIMBURG (DATED 1510)
CAST-IRON FIREBACK FROM LEIDEN
CAST-IRON FIREBACK FROM NIJMEGEN
The fireplace at Maastricht (page [131]) is a good specimen of the late Gothic type. It belongs to the year 1510, this date being carved on the centre scroll. Upon the sandstone jambs are worked Gothic mouldings which spring from shaped stops resting on square bases. The broad frieze is rich with carvings of angels, conventional flowers, cusps, and two shields, bearing the arms of Maastricht and Liège. The rear of the opening is lined with pressed terra-cotta tiles that exhibit a variety of designs in low relief. Against it is set an iron fireback ornamented with a heraldic device. The wooden figures on the mantel-shelf are merely placed thereon and are not inherent to the design.