A contemporary design classic inspired by Vermeer
Copenhagen-based design brand raawii has teamed up with Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam for a special terracotta edition of raawii’s iconic Strøm ceramic jug. The special edition is presented in connection with the largest ever exhibition on Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer, which will open on February 10th.
Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675) lived and worked in Delft. His work is best known for his tranquil, introverted indoor scenes, his unprecedented use of bright, colourful light and his convincing illusionism. Vermeer left a remarkably small oeuvre with only about 35 paintings. With 23 paintings, the exhibition “Vermeer” (1632-1675) will be the largest exhibition to date and include loans from other museums never shown to the public in the Netherlands before.
Jugs and pitchers are part of the scene in several of Vermeer’s paintings, notably his masterwork The Milkmaid (1658-59). It was the terracotta jug in The Milkmaid that gave the inspiration to creating a special version of raawii’s Strøm jug in the same material that Vermeer portraited almost four centuries ago.
Launched in 2017, raawii’s first ceramic product, Strøm, has become an instant icon and is now seen as a modern classic by many architects and interior designers. The way in which Strøm’s geometric shape is defined by its bold colours and its soft play of light and shadow shows a direct relationship to elements of Vermeer’s work.
When the Rijksmuseum and raawii started a dialogue about special edition product to accompany the Vermeer exhibition, a Strøm jug was the obvious product to work on. For the first time, raawii now presents one of their designs in raw terracotta. As a special edition, the terracotta Strøm jug will be available in the Rijksmuseum’s shop and on raawii’s online shop from February 10th. The special edition will be accompanied by two other sizes of raawii jugs in blue and yellow, selected as signature colours used by Johannes Vermeer.
About The Rijksmuseum
The Rijksmuseum is the national museum of the Netherlands. We tell the story of 800 years of Dutch history, from 1200 to now. In addition, we organize several exhibitions per year from our own collection and with (inter) national loans.
The exhibition “Vermeer” will be open to the public from February 10th to June 4th, 2023.
