Tegeltableau met het schip "Den Briel" van Willem III met het admiraalsjacht voor het Oude Hoofd te Rotterdam c. 1690 - 1730

This tile tableau, of unknown date, depicts Willem III’s ship “Den Briel” and an admiral's yacht off the coast of Rotterdam. It's made from earthenware, carefully molded and fired, then painted with a limited palette of blues. While the artist is anonymous, the technique is not. This is classic Delftware, tin-glazed pottery that became popular in the Netherlands from the 16th century. The labor of forming and painting each tile, then assembling them into a larger image, speaks to a highly developed system of production. Delftware was not just decorative; it was a major industry, reflecting Dutch mercantile power. Looking closely, you can see the slight variations in each tile, the subtle imperfections that come from handcraft. These imperfections serve as a reminder of the human element involved in its creation, pushing back against any hard separation of fine art and craft.