Maria Louise's Bloemenhof
until 1 February
A temporary exhibition is currently on display in the Eekhoffzaal of the Historisch Centrum Leeuwarden: Maria Louise’s Bloemenhof, featuring works by artist Irene Feenstra.
Maria Louise of Hesse-Kassel was a beloved regent in Leeuwarden in the 18th century, the matriarch of the Dutch royal family and Princess of Orange-Nassau. Until 1765, she resided in the city hall De Princessehof, and given her fondness for porcelain, it is hardly surprising that Nanne Ottema — who lived in Leeuwarden and shared the same passion, along with an extensive collection — transformed the city palace into the Ceramics Museum in 1917, as we know it today.
Artist Irene Feenstra has connected these two historical figures who lived more than a century apart by digitally arranging flowers in vases from the collection of the Ottema-Kingma Foundation. This resulted in three floral still lifes, placed in rooms once frequented by Maria Louise. The atmosphere of these spaces evokes the sense that she might step back inside at any moment.
With the work Stinzenpracht, …
Maria Louise of Hesse-Kassel was a beloved regent in Leeuwarden in the 18th century, the matriarch of the Dutch royal family and Princess of Orange-Nassau. Until 1765, she resided in the city hall De Princessehof, and given her fondness for porcelain, it is hardly surprising that Nanne Ottema — who lived in Leeuwarden and shared the same passion, along with an extensive collection — transformed the city palace into the Ceramics Museum in 1917, as we know it today.
Artist Irene Feenstra has connected these two historical figures who lived more than a century apart by digitally arranging flowers in vases from the collection of the Ottema-Kingma Foundation. This resulted in three floral still lifes, placed in rooms once frequented by Maria Louise. The atmosphere of these spaces evokes the sense that she might step back inside at any moment.
With the work Stinzenpracht, one of the still lifes from the series Maria Louise’s Bloemenhof, Feenstra refers to the stinzen plants that traditionally bloomed in the gardens of city palaces. Today, these plants are being replanted to preserve this valuable cultural heritage. These works are therefore also on display as part of the exhibition Maria Louise’s Bloemenhof.
Copyright: Irene Feenstra
