Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Veurne
Die Nobele Rose (1572-75) in Veurne, another Hanse town, is another fine
example of early gauged work, having similar-sized bricks, minor inaccur-
acies and finishing that echo the Poperinge doorway above. The arches and
the large central window treatment with pilasters framing a scallop-shell hood
within a cut-moulded arch are especially finely wrought.
The town hall of Veurne is a combination of late Gothic and Renaissance
elements called 'Flemish Renaissance' style, and was constructed in two
parts, in 1596 and 1612. Both display fine gauged brickwork enrichments,
cut-moulded reveals, arches, pilasters, as well as
in situ
carved strapwork to
aprons and tympana of arches; all laid in the buff coastal bricks. This work is
superior in quality to that of the two doorways of Die Nobele Rose and 71,
Gasthuisstraat, Poperinge, as the skills of post-fired working of bricks con-
tinued to be refined with knowledge and experience. A description of the work
carried out on setting out, cutting, rubbing and constructing a new brick 'top-
stuck' to replace a seriously weathered 1612 original from this building, was
the subject of an article written by Elie Degrande and Miek Gossens. It pro-
vides a valuable account of the methods employed by the Flemish craftsmen
on post-fired working bricks for restoration purposes, as discussed below.
Clearly, by studying Flemish brickwork, and particularly the practice of treat-
ing bricks as stones for enrichments, one can see cutting, and rubbing, to have
become a ubiquitous practice with signs of post-fired working very evident on
the faces of the bricks. This was achieved by way of 'axing', and the use of either
plain or combed-head chisels. The popular calcareous buff-coloured Flemish
bricks would be slightly harder than, for example, the English orange/red rub-
bing quality bricks of the same period, so requiring more robust mason's cut-
ting and carving tools and masonry techniques to work the face.
A Master Builder's Workshop
Modern Flemish bricklayers at the workshop of Master Builder Arthur
Vandendorpe in Brugge, continue to set out and cut brick mouldings in the
traditional manner, such as for the restoration of Gothic tracery or 'maaswerk'.
Surprisingly the majority of bricks used on restoration work appear to be
re-claimed; there are no brickmakers currently producing rubbing quality
bricks. With the brick cut down to the basic size, the required shape is obtained
from full-size templets, prepared from full-size geometrical drawings, with joint
sizes to a maximum of 5 mm, as individual boxes. The brick is placed into this
box, scribed and then removed for hand-cutting with the hammer and chisel,
exactly as a stonemason cuts stone; working from drafts formed at either end
of the brick that answer the templet and then the remaining surface is worked
