Year 2003
Nearly everyone passing the gate of the Prinsenhof (Prince's Court) in Groningen pauses to look at the sundial. Not to see what time it is, we have wristwatches for that, but to look at the fine and scholarly looking painting. Because that is what it is: a delicate abstract painting.
And such was the opinion two and a half centuries ago.
The Groningen and Adjacencies Chronicles for 1743 speak of "A Sundial of Substance, whose Equal in Art and Design is not to be found in all of the Netherlands".
The chronicles mention the makers, Cremers and Doornbos, ".. two most excellent Groningen Artists and great Lovers of Mathesis."
The sundial certainly was not cheap. In 1730 (one year before its completion), the makers received the sum of 144 Carolusguilders. An advance or the total sum? We do not know.
Two plaques in the columns of the gate explain what one can read on the sundial. This is the text:
REPORT ON THE WORKINGS OF THIS SUNDIAL
the shadow of the ball
falling on the golden curves
shows in gold lettering
the time of sunrise
on the right and of sunset
on the left hand side and in the
middle of the right hand side
the day length
the shadow of the ball
falling on the red or black crosswise
intersecting lines using the red
lines and lettering at the top of the panel
shows the babylonian hours that is how long the
sun has been shining and using the black
lines and lettering at the bottom
of the panel shows
the italian hours; and in the middle
of the panel how much longer the sun will be shining
Whoever composed this text was apparently so impressed by all these possibilities that he forgot to mention that the shadow of the rod indicated the time.... or perhaps he thought that was self-evident: all those large golden Roman numerals on the broad dark ribbon.
Motto:
Tempus Praeteritum Nihil, Futurum Incertum,
Praesens Instabile, Cave Ne Perdas Hoctuum
For design from 1730 see Article of the month March.
Hans de Rijk
English translation: RH