Facade decoration with female figures and floral motifs

About this artwork.

In the Oude Kijk in 't Jatstraat, several facade decorations can be seen, but the shop window at number 42 deserves special attention.
 
The shop front consists of the large window and a beautifully designed door with skylight. The window rests on a low, bluestone plinth and there are two bluestone plinths on either side of the facade. The facade is decorated with pilasters and an architrave, decorated with wood carvings in the Art Nouveau style. In the pilasters we see on both sides a refined relief of an elegant female figure with a mirror in her hand. Below and above the women and in the architrave are floral motifs. Originally, the deeper folds of the relief were gilded, which meant that woodcarving demanded even more attention than now. 
 
The woman with the mirror refers to the hat shop that used to be there. In 1906, Miss L. Duut had the eighteenth-century building rebuilt by the architects G. & K. Hoekzema. They also designed the facade. 
Groningen is home to many more Art Nouveau treasures, but this is one of the few figurative wood carvings. The work stands out thanks to its craftsmanship and the refined execution of the design.

Facts & Figures.

• Design
  maker onbekend

• District
  Centrum

• Year of creation
  1906

• Art type
  Relief, Art in / on a building

• Material
  Wood, Bluestone

• Dimensions
  h 4,00 x b 4,00 m