Mural Jacobus Kapteyn

About this artwork.

In the Oude Kijk in 't Jatstraat, between numbers 7 and 9, a corridor leads to the University Museum. On the wall of number 9 is a large painting dedicated to Jacobus Cornelius Kapteyn (1851-1922), the first professor of astronomy and theoretical mechanics at the University of Groningen.

The painting covers the entire wall, from just above the ground to just below the eaves, and reads like a cartoon. The viewer's gaze is initially led to the fairground scene, at the bottom right. Then you see J.C. Kapteyn, hanging from balloons, ascend from this situation, towards his office. There he is depicted sitting on a tree stump.

According to the creator of the work, Fynn van der Ziel, the whole is a kind of puzzle. All elements depicted are related to Jacobus Kapteyn. For example, on the left of the fairground image, a chip shop can be seen; a reference to Snackbar De Kapteyn, which can be found in Groningen in the J.C. Kapteynlaan. The fair itself is primarily a symbol of everyday life, to which Kapteyn found it difficult to relate. Rather, he ascended to the world of science.

Arriving in his office, references to his scientific research are visible. The stump he sits on is a reference to his research into tree rings. In his hands he holds glass plate negatives, which he used to study stars in the Southern Hemisphere sky. Behind him are two posters: one with a star map, the other shows his house and the observatory he never had. The rabbit and the bird-shaped stars refer to the fact that Kapteyn was a great animal lover.

About the assignment.

The mural by Jacobus Kapteyn is the second in a series of academic murals about Groningen science (press). The series is commissioned by the University of Groningen, in collaboration with Kunstpunt. The painting of Aletta Jacobs was previously realized, which can be found around the corner, on the Academieplein.

Facts & Figures.

• Design
  Fynn van der Ziel

• District
  Centrum

• Year of creation
  2022

• Art type
  Painting, Art in / on a building

• Material
  Paint

• Dimensions
  h 8,5 x b 8 m