Klooster, kloosteronderdl, Abdijgedeelte aan de zuidzijde grenzend aan de Balanspoort Middelburg

English translation

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Description

ABBEY SECTION on the south side bordering the Balanspoort, mid-sixteenth century, originally contained canons' dwellings. A brick building of two storeys with cross windows, lying with its long side on the square, beneath a high gabled roof; flanked on the square side by corner towers and with a middle tower projecting from the façade. Undecorated rear façade. The left tower is an octagonal stair tower of three stages, brick with sandstone drip mouldings and corner blocks. The middle tower is square, of four stages, projecting diagonally from the façade, brick with sandstone corner blocks and blind arches. The right tower is a hexagonal stair tower of three stages, brick with sandstone corner blocks. This section of the Abbey buildings did not suffer from the fire of 1940, but was heavily renewed externally by restoration around 1900.

WALL TAPESTRIES: Since 1972 the Zeeland Museum has been housed in the building. In the so-called "Wall Tapestry Hall" hangs a series of six wall tapestries (one of which consists of two parts), woven between 1593 and 1604. Five tapestries depict different Zeeland naval battles from the years 1572-1576. The sixth tapestry is the so-called Coat of Arms Tapestry. The States of Zeeland commissioned in 1591 the tapestry depicting the battle of Bergen op Zoom. Woven by Francois Spierincx in Delft and delivered in 1595. Subsequently the States decided to commission a series of six. This commission went to weaver Jan de Maecht in Middelburg. Hendrick Vroom in Haarlem designed the four naval battles. The last tapestry, the Coat of Arms Tapestry, was designed by Carel van Mander.

The tapestries hung on the walls of the great hall of the Prince's Lodge in the Abbey complex on special occasions. From 1678 to 1940 in the assembly hall of the States of Zeeland and since 1972 in the Zeeland Museum; they still hang in their original historical setting within the Abbey complex. The tapestries are made of wool and silk. Provided with a main image with a border around it.

The tapestry "Bergen op Zoom" was made in the period 1593-spring 1595 by weaver Francois Spierincx in Delft. He signed it bottom right in the side border with his master's mark. The tapestry is 3.91 metres high and 7.42 metres wide. The tapestry depicts the battle of Bergen op Zoom on 29 January 1574.

The tapestry "Rammekens" was made in the period 1596-1598 by weaver Jan de Maecht (circa 1530-1598) in Middelburg after a design by Hendrick Vroom (circa 1566-1640) in Haarlem. The weaver signed the tapestry bottom right in the main image. Huybrecht Leyniers in Dordrecht was the pattern painter. The tapestry is 3.99 metres high and 7.26 metres wide. The tapestry depicts the battle of Rammekens in April 1573.

The tapestry "Lillo" was woven in the period 1597-second half of 1598 by Jan de Maecht. It was designed by Hendrick Vroom and the pattern painter was Huybrecht Leyniers. The tapestry is 3.99 metres high and 5.35 metres wide. The tapestry depicts the battle for Lillo on 30 May 1574.

The tapestry "Den Haak" was woven in the period 1600-1603 by Hendrick de Maecht (?-1602) in Middelburg, son and successor of Jan de Maecht. The designer was Hendrick Vroom and the pattern painter Huybrecht Leyniers. The tapestry consists of two parts, a wider and a narrower one, which form a whole. The wide part is 4.02 metres high and 3.19 metres wide and the narrower part is 4.11 metres high and 2.14 metres wide. The wide tapestry depicts the siege of Veere in May 1572 and the narrower part the battle at Den Haak in August 1573. The image extends across the two parts, since both battles took place at the same location.

The tapestry "Zierikzee" was woven in the period 1599-1603 by Hendrick de Maecht. The designer was Hendrick Vroom and the pattern painter Huybrecht Leyniers. It is 3.90 metres high and 3.85 metres wide. The tapestry depicts the siege of Zierikzee, autumn 1575-summer 1576.

The last tapestry made for the series is the "Coat of Arms Tapestry", which was intended for above the fireplace. It was designed by Carel van Mander (ca. 1548-1606) in Haarlem. The pattern painter was Huybrecht Leyniers in Dordrecht. It was woven in the de Maecht workshop in Middelburg, under the direction of Francijntje Obry, widow of Hendrick de Maecht, in the period 1603-1604. It is 2.66 by 2.67 metres in size.

The richly ornamented fireplace piece was made in honour of Zeeland and its six voting cities and the general leader William of Orange. The image is dominated by the coat of arms of Zeeland in the centre with the god Neptune on the left and the god Mars on the right. Above the coat of arms the portrait of William of Orange. In the border, among other things, the coats of arms of the six voting Zeeland cities.

Valuation (tapestries only, not of building): The series is of importance because of its rarity as the only known series of wall tapestries from the Middelburg tapestry weaving workshop of de Maecht (one other tapestry from this workshop is known). Of value because of its rarity as a product of art and artistic craftsmanship and of value because of its completeness. Of cultural-historical value because of the history depicted by the tapestries and because of their own history. Furthermore of documentary value for maritime cultural history and of ensemble value as a complete series, which moreover still stands in its original historical setting.