Leeuwen, Pier van
Mr. Pier van Leeuwen is curator of the Museum of the Dutch Clock Born 1958 in Delft, Pier van Leeuwen studied as a graphic artist at the Royal Academy of Visual Arts in The Haghe and later as e museologist at the Reinwardt Academy in Leyden. From 1989 he worked with a number of Dutch museums in various capacities including those of exhibition designer, consultant and curator. In 1997 he became Curator of The Museum of The Dutch Clock in Zaandam, which now exhibits the most complete survey of the history of the Dutch clock. Pier has several publications to his name including those on such subjects as Dutch Designer Glass, Modern Sculpture in Zaanstad and the painter Thijmen Moll of Huizen. In 2002 Pier started a project for the Boom-Time Foundation in Utrecht, building a website for a virtual catalogue of Dutch signed clocks which will be on-line in 2004.Kalverringdijk 3, Zaanse Schans,
1509 BT Zaandam, the Netherlands,
t. +31 75 6179769
f. +31 75 6157786
www.mnuurwerk.nl
Articles by this Author
From Cuckoo Clock to Regulator
- By Leeuwen, Pier van
- Published 18 March 2008
- Clocks, Barometers and instruments
- Unrated
The traveling clock merchant was once a familiar figure in the Black
Forest. On his back he carried a wooden pannier (so-called “Krätze”)
containing his wares. One of the first clock merchants, Joseph
Winterhalder, reached Holland in 1720. He founded a company of clock
and bird merchants in Gutenbach. A special clock carriers company for
trade with Holland was formed in 1760. Trade was also carried out with
other foreign countries such as Turkey, Egypt and North America.Painted tin figures dressed in historic costume and with a clock on the front were made up until the end of the 19th century. These clock-men (so-called “Uhrenmänle” or “Uhrenträger” often stood in the clockmaker’s window for recognition purposes and were also known as shop-window figures (so-called “Schaufensterfiguren”).
Johann Hevelius (1611-1687)
- By Leeuwen, Pier van
- Published 17 March 2008
- Clocks, Barometers and instruments
- Unrated
As the bourgeoisie increased during the renaissance, so did the demand
for smaller horizontal table clocks and neck watches increase. These
clocks were driven by a spring and used a balance as regulator which
enabled them to be transportable. They originated in Southern Germany,
particularly in Augsburg and Nuremberg. In Holland, clockmakers such as
Salomon Coster, Severijn Oosterwijck and Jan Janse Boekelts were also
developing these clocks in cities such as Haarlem, Amsterdam and The
Hague. Examples originating from Danzig (Pomerania) were, for instance,
designed by Johann Eichstedt, Wolfgang Günther and Johann Anton Horn.
The Dutch Connection
- By Leeuwen, Pier van
- Published 17 March 2008
- Clocks, Barometers and instruments
- Unrated
A review of the literature appears to indicate that authors in the
English language have distinguished the importance and specifics of
Dutch clockmaking much at a much earlier stage and with rather more
verve than their Dutch colleagues. This phenomenon is shared in other
areas. Great Dutch architects like Berlage and Dudok, and even the old
masters of the 'Golden Age of Dutch painting'seems to attract greater
interest abroad than in the Netherlands itself.
