Jurriaan Andriessen (1742-1819)

Painted wall decorations were highly sought after in 18th century Dutch interiors. In contrast to present day wallpaper, they mainly featured landscapes with wall to wall displays so one could find onself outdoors indoors. In 1968, Professor Maurits van Loon purchased a series of painted wall decorations which were originally made for Drakensteyn Castle in 1780 and were then being restored. Wanting to preserve the paintings and give them an historically appropriate home, the canvases went on display at the Van Loon Museum in 1973. When Maurits van Loon purchased these wall decorations it was not known who had painted them. Thanks to the research of Richard Harmanni these paintings can now be attributed with certainty to Jurriaan Andriessen. Thus far, only a small circle of experts have been aware of Jurriaan Andriessen's role as one of Holland's leading artists in the second half of the eighteenth century. This publication is the first to describe Jurriaan Andriessen's manufacturing method, his panelling practices and his many commissions. Special attention is given to the recently restored paintings that Andriessen made for Drakensteyn Castle in 1780 and how they came to be attributed to him.