A beautifully rendered oil on canvas depicting a room at ’The Königspesel’ on the island of Hooge, near Germany.

The Königspesel was built in 1776 by Captain Tade Hans Bandix and contains many historical treasures and artefacts. It’s said that King Frederick VI of Denmark slept here during a stay in 1825, which is why it’s known as the Königspesel (King’s Parlour). In this particular room, the ‘Pesel’, the walls are decorated with intricate Delft tiles and fine antique artworks. 

In 1953, the artist Wilhelm Gdanietz (1893-1969) painted the Pesel as it was at that point in time. It remains almost identical to this day and open to the public.

Wilhelm Gdanietz led a difficult life but overcame the odds to become a very successful painter. At the age of two, he became deaf following a bout of scarlet fever, which led to him spending much of his childhood at a ‘deaf and dumb’ institution. During this time, he must’ve found great solace in his art as by the age of 19 he gained access to the Academy in Düsseldorf.

His style was firmly rooted in the past and he was particularly inspired by the Dutch old masters. For a while, he moved to Holland where he ran a studio in Volendam. During this period he produced many interior scenes and his works gained popularity following museum exhibitions.

In 1930, he retired to Düsseldorf where he lived in a cottage decorated with Delft tiles and Dutch antiques. It seems that Holland remained close to his heart throughout his life.

The painting is signed/dated in the lower left and housed within a gilded wooden frame. Certainly a museum quality piece.