Dutch sculptor Joop van Huisstede (1922-2000) immortalised his son Koos in this sculpted misericord he carved in 1974 for the Oude Kerk (Old Church) in Ouderkerksplein, Amsterdam, Netherlands. The artwork, which joined late-15th century carvings beneath the choir stall seats, shows the young man working on one of the partitions between the stalls.
Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands: a Dutch artist’s tribute to his talented son … this modern misericord by sculptor Joop van Huisstede (1922-2000) on the underside of a choir stall seat in the Oude Kerk (Old Church) in Ouderkerksplein, depicts his son Koos working on one of the choir stall partitions. Joop’s carving, completed in 1974, took its place amongst misericords carved some time between 1480 and 1500 that had survived decades of religious turmoil and wilful damage to the former Roman Catholic church. The ancient Oude Kerk misericords survived the Dutch Revolt against Spanish rule, the Protestant Reformation switch from Catholicism to Calvinism - and incidents when the building was looted and defaced. The worst damage occurred in 1566, when an iconoclastic mob destroyed most of the church’s art and fittings. Some pre-Reformation stained glass was left unscathed, as were the choir misericords, which mostly illustrate old Dutch proverbs and sayings. The original misericords are now combined with a few other modern examples, such as a draughtsman working at his drawing board, also by Joop van Huisstede and also carved in 1974. The Oude Kerk, Amsterdam’s oldest building, is now a museum of architecture and art, although it still hosts Protestant Sunday services.
Size: 3008px × 2000px
Location: Oude Kerk, Ouderkerksplein, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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