Dutch Tile Picture after Franz Hals

The grip of Holland on the American imagination is a persistent narrative in the history of New York City and the Hudson Valley. This piece of decorative art is a particularly good example. It reflects the popularity of Dutch Old Master paintings and Delft ceramics around the turn of the 20th century, at the same time that it has connections to Dutch tourism. This piece faithfully reproduces Hals’ celebrated portrait of Willem Van Heythuysen striking a debonair pose in a fabulous beaver hat.

Creating one image from several tiles was itself an art dating back to the days of the Old Masters. These Delft pictures ranged from still lifes on as few as four tiles to huge battle scenes. By 1900 Joost Thooft & Labouchere was the only firm still making these traditional works. Tile pictures like this decorated the salons of Dutch ocean liners.