17th-century paintings discovered by chance, disappear behind the ceiling after investigation

Special 17th-century ceiling paintings were found during the renovation of a building on the Singel. Cultural historians spent days researching the drawings. Yet today they disappear behind the ceiling again. This is done to preserve the drawings for the future, says the owner of the building.

The works are said to have been hidden for about two hundred years. “It concerns six images from the life of Hercules. Remus and Romulus, among others, can be seen drinking from a wolf. It is also striking that there are many insects and birds to be seen,” says Tim van Schijndel, director of Aham Vastgoed, which manages the property.

Madelon Simons, assistant professor of Art History of the Early Modern Period at the UvA, saw the works in photos. According to her, this is an exceptional find because the beams and floorboards of the ceiling have been intact. “It appears from the inscription on the wall between the beams that it was re-tiled in July 1897. So there were ‘hands’ on the walls and perhaps also on the paintings. So it could have been restored in 1897, but it The whole is not affected,” says Simons.

Scratch painters

It is a monumental office building that was in need of renovation. After the discovery, the entire work was exposed by the municipality for research, says Van Schijndel. “The front house is from the 18th century, but the back house appears to be much older. It is suspected that a wealthy merchant had the entire room painted by draft painters,” says van Schijndel.

A draft painter was a painter who specialized in painting houses and furnishings. However, Simons thinks draft painter is a disrespectful term, because they sometimes made the most beautiful creations. “Some may have only been busy with quick decorations like this, but they may also have designed prints or work on canvas. In any case, those precise birds and butterflies show great care,” says Simons.

Simons cannot say with certainty how the works were made. “I see different styles. Skillful with the help of a template. The cartouches with the labors of Hercules are still different, especially because of the more complicated postures and the use of color,” says Simons.

Rental price

The unique find has no influence on the rental price of the building, Van Schijndel says with a laugh. “We had already rented it out, so the rental price remains the same. But the idea is of course very special. It is important to me that it remains in good condition,” says van Schijndel.

Simons is also happy with the find. “Because now we art historians can get a little closer to the painting practice of the first half of the seventeenth century, which we know far too little about due to all the attention paid to other ‘famous and now priceless paintings,'” she says.

According to her, it is a good thing that the drawings disappear behind a ceiling after examination. “We live in a time when many canal houses, elevators and other damaging things get into the building, which causes much more damage than closing an interesting ceiling!”