'Old' Dutch style

The Old Dutch style was a variant of the Baroque style.

Popular from 1625-1650 during the Dutch Golden Age, when the Dutch Republic was at its most powerful and wealthiest, and the Dutch empire at its most strongest, and becoming a superpower in Europe.

Baroque was a theatrical style, that took elements from the renaissance and other Northern European styles at the time.

The Baroque style was based on christianity, and to provoke the dramatics and emotions.

The style itself was very stylised, decorative and exuberant. It was accessible and yet dark, to stir up emotion. It was seen as the opposite of the Rococo style, that was all about romance and floral niceties.

The Dutch used this new style to promote its new empire, bringing new influence, wealth and new foreign goods. The style, travelled with the dutch to its new colonies, and was the basis for the American colonial style which is often used as an American classic.

The Titanic designers, Mutters and Zoon wanted to acknowledge the Dutch styles of their homeland with a series of Modern and old styles. Poetically using both styles to attract the new world passengers of Old and New money.

Mutters and Zoon almost definitely used this painting, 'A man weighing gold' 1670 by Cornelis De Man, as inspiration for the Old Dutch style staterooms onboard Titanic.

The use of elements like the table legs and the wall panelling. swell as the ceiling and fireplace surround.

The table legs from the painting (left) against on Titanic's Old Dutch Style (right)

The wall panelling from the painting (left) Titanic's wardrobe and door woodwook (centre, and right)

The fireplace of the painting was inspiration for the four poster bed onboard. Including the fabric valance.

Painting (left) Titanic Old dutch style (right top, and bottom)

The ceiling was also inspired into the Titanic Old Dutch interior style. Using elements from the older Tudor style, and incorporating it into the Dutch Baroque.

On Titanic, a new element of lincrusta was included to add detail and texture.

The painting (top) RMSTitanic.Design (bottom)

I definitely used this painting to get a few details right when recreating the style. Its hard to research certain things like textures and colour from a photograph.

The colour of the wood which was a dark oak, was inspired from the painting.

Same with the colour of the fabric, that I used for the crimson fabric walls.

The fabric on the bed and chairs was a crimson velvet seen on photographs.

The painting marble floor also inspired the colours of the marble washbasin top between the wardrobes.

The Old Dutch style Olympic/Titanic (top)

RMSTitanic.Design recreation (bottom)

RMSTitanic.Design C-72 Old Dutch Style

The lincrusta ceiling from Olympic photographs

Do you like the Old Dutch style? let me know in the comments below

Written by Chris Walker of RMSTitanic.Design