Open Monumentdag

 Failed fantasy.

First, a little coda to the last blog. My optimistic impression of what was happening in St Jansplein, vis-a-vis the possible replacement of tarmac with cobblestones was way out. See the photograph to the left. SO disappointing to have my romantic fantasy rejected!

But romantic fantasies re-surfaced with the annual Monumentdag which actually refers to the weekend. Saturday I visited 16 and17 Spinolarei, nearby, where huge renovations have been taking place for at least a year or more. It does seem more fun to visit renovations sites rather than perfectly formed, restored, lavishly accoutred ‘Big Houses’ though these have their place. A serious drawback for me is that I cannot understand the official guide book which is an impressive publication, full of information on the history of each property. This wonderful guide makes me want, more than anything else, to understand written Dutch.

Another drawback is, of course, my lack of understanding of spoken Dutch. Nonetheless, in No 16 Spinolarei, I picked up a few points and the kind guide added occasional English remarks to help. I just loved No 16, a building from 1280 when it had a wooden front construction with brick at the back. It fronts the canal and the whole house [as well as No 17] will be rather posh apartments in 2018. One, on the first floor will be magnificent for there are mediaeval flourishes evident and above that first
floor, the beams and mediaeval construction still remains, patched by liberal amounts of modern wood replacement. There are Flemish
equivalents to the beautiful Crown Posts on the top floor

 The tiny faces at the base of each arch, are modern replacements
 the originals having been stolen long ago, as were
the fireplaces.

of my former house in Kent and my interest in early mediaeval construction stirred..

Number 17 enthralled much less; although only slightly younger than No. 16, the evidence felt
eighteenth century and indeed, both houses had been 'joined' into one big house in the eighteenth century apparently. The crowning glory was the communal cellars, with arches, mediaeval bricks and walls and space enough for a huge amount of merchandise in earlier times. Around 750 years after the original construction, it seems stunning that modern apartments can be carved and polished from these grand decaying monuments.

Sunday, to find the atelier of Pol Standaerts on Witteleertouwerstraat. An impressive 17^th century building, relatively undistinguished from the outside but interesting within. I found it difficult, without Dutch, to pick up much information about the building and beautiful garden area itself, but of the resident firm of Pol Standaerts, there was much to see and learn. Founded in the mid seventeenth century in its present premises, Pol Standaerts produces a bewildering and highly decorative variety of plaster casts, statuettes, stylised embellishments for high ceilings, like the work it has done over the centuries for the Grand Hotel Casselburgh.  Alfred Gilbert, designer of Eros in Piccadilly Circus, took his design for the winged messenger, to Brugge, to Standaerts, to have it realised. I was particularly interested just to discover a plasterwork atelier in Brugge like that of the Atelier Lorenzi in Paris from where I recently bought my much-loved L’Inconnue de la Seine, now smiling serenely down from my study wall.

 Atelier Pol Standaerts

My second Sunday visit was to Kraanplein 4, a building I often pass and had noticed under extensive renovation for perhaps the last year. This Huis de Cluuse was built around 1270-90, a fact only fairly recently established after dendrochronology had been done on the wealth of beams. Hitherto, a fifteenth century date for building had been assumed. In fact, in comparison to some of the buildings on offer during this Open Monumentdag, it is relatively small and modest but its wealth of old brick and ancient wood make it special. There is a spiral wooden staircase which I had assumed must be contemporary but which is in fact, nineteenth century. I loved it that the guide was able to show us three paintings, one by Memling, [1430-1495] one by Pourbus [1523-1584] and one other, which shows Kraanplein 4 in the miniature view of the background. The present owner intends to live there and start a small coffee house/bistro there within an unbelievable three weeks! Further contemporary investigation is obviously warranted! 

Sunday afternoon to Hoogstraat 28, the only upmarket property which I chose, the other four being all houses in the process of renovation. I had often seen a gorgeous little pagoda above the Groenerei and wished I could go inside it and that was the reason for choosing this particular house on Hoogstraat. It is beautiful, neo-classical with a perfect symmetry in design, large mirrors, ancestral portraits, ornate and gilded plasterwork, a beautifully-balanced staircase, large pillars with gilded collars and views over the classical garden to die for. It was built between 1821 and 1826 in the Empire style, though, mysteriously to me, the windows and doors date from 1910. The garden itself was a joy with miniature hedges of box clipped with military precision, more curves and again, more symmetry with the focus on the afore-mentioned gem of a canal-side pagoda. Heaven. I did not enjoy the visit however beyond the considerable aesthetic pleasure as the guide was interminable, none of the resident family was present, only three ground-floor salons and the garden were open. Of course, if one spoke Dutch, it would have been more bearable but there was a distinct feeling of ‘de haut en bas’ and the complete lack of private possessions and ornaments suggested a slight nervousness about what the sans-culottes might get up to! But the pagoda was perfect

 Love the discreet, tasselled rope.
BUT a perfect staircase