To me the 17th century is extremely inspiring, and important, when I design leather goods and look for inspiration.
Our country, the Netherlands, won its independence in 1648, at the close of the long revolt that Prince Willem van Oranje had set in motion generations before. Our beloved Dutch painters made masterpieces, Made in Holland, alongside other stories, beautiful and less beautiful, that many people do not know much about.
The Dutch master painters Rembrandt van Rijn, Johannes Vermeer, Pieter Brueghel, Jan Steen, Lucas van Leyden and Frans Hals laid the foundation for our Dutch heritage in fine art. Many of them were among the greatest painters in Europe.
Among the many genres of painting, still life was very common. The work was a strikingly realistic representation of everyday life: its fashion, its food, its ceramics and its daily activities, as there was no photography in this century yet.
The most inspiring thing to us is the depiction of light, and the highly skilled techniques used in so many old Dutch paintings, hundreds of years ago.
The contrasts, the chiaroscuro, used in the paintings of this century are a technique worth studying. The colour palettes were iconic and specific. These timeless pieces are our Dutch heritage.
They are the inspiration for me to combine antique Dutch influences with modern-day minimalism.
Love, Safiera ♡
