Science and Technology. Gouvernementsgebouw-Drents Museum, Assen, Drenthe, The Netherlands
On dreary, dreich Saturday I went down to Assen, the capital of the province of Drenthe, to look at the Drents Museum. The blue sky of this gable stone lifted my spirits. It's one of four depicting various arts and sciences, technology, agriculture etc. They grace the pretty Gouvernementsgebouw, the former capitol of the province of Drenthe. That building - replacing an older one which was torn down - was erected 1879-1887 by the Rijksbouwmeester - National Archictect - Jacobus van Lokhorst (1844-1906), a follower of the famous neogothic architect Pierre J.H. Cuypers (1827-1921) of Roermond. The gable stones and friezes of this building were likely sculpted by the atelier of Cuypers's friend François Charles Stoltzenberg (1805-1875), presumably by the latter's son Frans Marie Hubert (1838-1909), who had succeeded his father in 1875, or under his oversight; the atelier employed about 40 artisans! Lokhorst worked closely with that atelier, and in one of the gable stones there is a portrait of him.
Today the provincial government has moved offices into a modern building. The handsome Gouvernementsgebouw became the seat of the Drents Museum in 1973, and it was recently completely restored and renovated.
This particular gable stone has putti putting into practice science and technology. I looked for a while till I got too wet and then entered the newly styled museum into a completely different world of contemporary design and art.
Science and Technology. Gouvernementsgebouw-Drents Museum, Assen, Drenthe, The Netherlands
On dreary, dreich Saturday I went down to Assen, the capital of the province of Drenthe, to look at the Drents Museum. The blue sky of this gable stone lifted my spirits. It's one of four depicting various arts and sciences, technology, agriculture etc. They grace the pretty Gouvernementsgebouw, the former capitol of the province of Drenthe. That building - replacing an older one which was torn down - was erected 1879-1887 by the Rijksbouwmeester - National Archictect - Jacobus van Lokhorst (1844-1906), a follower of the famous neogothic architect Pierre J.H. Cuypers (1827-1921) of Roermond. The gable stones and friezes of this building were likely sculpted by the atelier of Cuypers's friend François Charles Stoltzenberg (1805-1875), presumably by the latter's son Frans Marie Hubert (1838-1909), who had succeeded his father in 1875, or under his oversight; the atelier employed about 40 artisans! Lokhorst worked closely with that atelier, and in one of the gable stones there is a portrait of him.
Today the provincial government has moved offices into a modern building. The handsome Gouvernementsgebouw became the seat of the Drents Museum in 1973, and it was recently completely restored and renovated.
This particular gable stone has putti putting into practice science and technology. I looked for a while till I got too wet and then entered the newly styled museum into a completely different world of contemporary design and art.