Fishwife, Grain bearer, Merchant woman, Shipbuilder (Visvrouw, Korendrager, Koopvrouw, Scheepsbouwer)

About this artwork.

With the relocation of the Groninger Rotterdam Steam Boat Company from the Lopend Diep to the Oosterhamrikkade in 1941, the city of Groningen cleared the way for the construction of a permanent Kijk in 't Jatbrug. Immediately, sculptures were also ordered from the sculptor Willem Valk, who made them during the war years. The work on the bridge had to be halted because of the war and the sculptures were stored in a shed. In 1949, construction could finally resume and in 1951, the sculptures were installed.
 
Valk's decorative sculptures form a whole with the bridge design. The life-sized granite figures stand in the shallow recesses of the hexagonal pillars. They are highly stylised and depicted with subtle, shallow notches. The lowest part of each figure is almost in relief; the middle parts are carved a little deeper and are free from the pillars from the chest up.
 
They represent four professions that used to be common in this environment. On the west side, they indicate the supply of goods by sea: the Shipbuilder with his hammer and the Fishwife with the basket on her head. The east side of the bridge refers to the land: Grain Bearer is reminiscent of the grain trade at the Noorderhaven and the Merchant Woman of the trade at the Ossenmarkt.

Facts & Figures.

• Design
  Willem Valk

• District
  Centrum

• Year of creation
  1943

• Art type
  Art in / on a building

• Material
  Granite (Swedish)

• Dimensions
  h max. 2,4 m