{"id":55715,"date":"2020-09-01T15:54:10","date_gmt":"2020-09-01T22:54:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/creativemarket.com\/blog\/?p=55715"},"modified":"2024-04-21T22:20:02","modified_gmt":"2024-04-22T05:20:02","slug":"delft-blue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/creativemarket.com\/blog\/delft-blue","title":{"rendered":"Tin-glazed Joy: How Delft Blue Revitalized Dutch Households"},"content":{"rendered":"

Delft Blue’s eye-catching qualities are rooted in a process of production that came out of the Renaissance in Western Europe, specifically in the Netherlands. Though it first appeared in ceramics some 500 years ago, you may even have some of this blue and white pottery in your home right now; this aesthetic carries over seamlessly to all kinds of graphic design<\/a>, illustration, and creative work.
\nDelftware was Europe’s answer to the fancy Chinese imports from the East. The elaborate, fine artwork that was consequently produced by Dutch artisans was in high demand in the 17th<\/sup> and 18th<\/sup> centuries. Today, this style enjoys a revival that makes it popular again with both locals and tourists. It’s a symbol of Dutch pride and comparable to the masterpieces that great artists like Johannes Vermeer and Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn produced.
\nRead on for a deep dive into Delft pottery—the driving force behind this style.

<\/span>The History of Delft Blue<\/span><\/h2>

To understand this compelling style, you have to recognize the sea change that was underway in Western Europe at the time, as the early modern period of history was beginning to take shape. This was marked by the beginning of the Renaissance, as the Middle Ages began to give way to a new approach to thinking and doing things.
\nSome of the beneficiaries of this change were the artworks produced during this time of upheaval.<\/p>

Delftware originated in its namesake city in the Netherlands—which was known back then as the Dutch Republic—approximately in the 16th<\/sup> century. Today, this word is generally used to mean tin-glazed earthenware from Holland, which is also a type of faience (a catch-all term for finer, tin-glazed pottery). Much of the arguable artworks created and sold as Delft Blue pottery are traditionally blue<\/a> and white in color—hence the name—but the term is now broadly used to also refer to pottery with different colors and made outside of the Netherlands.
\nThe first forms of tin-glazed pottery were actually fashioned in Antwerp, Belgium but, after the Sack of Antwerp by Spanish soldiers, the knowledge behind these artworks spread to northern Holland. By the late 16th<\/sup> century, there were already various production centers of this pottery popping up in places like Haarlem, Middleburg, and Amsterdam. The finer artifacts of this style were produced in Delft, yet more mundane pieces were routinely being created in Rotterdam and Amsterdam.
\nBy the early 17th<\/sup> century, this earthenware and ensuing design technique were increasingly popular. The 100 years between 1640 to 1740 would be the heyday of production for this style of pottery, as the Dutch began exporting Delftware all over the European continent, with some exports even reaching Asia. To differentiate their style from other wares that were being produced around the same time, such as English delftware, Dutch producers introduced unique factory marks and personal monograms<\/a> in their artifacts.
\nHere’s a look at some modern-day graphics that use this design element for inspiration:<\/p>

By this time, Delft Blue potters were looking for bigger facilities to produce their craft. In 1654, as the brewing industry in Delft was seeing a decline, a huge explosion in the city leveled many existing breweries, thereby freeing up their workspaces for potters looking for more space.
\nA lot of diverse objects fell into the category of this earthenware, such as:<\/p>