Plaque with a Dutch landscape, possibly a view of Kethel 1655 - 1692

This ceramic plaque, possibly a view of Kethel, was created by Frederick van Frijtom. The interplay of blue and white creates a serene vista, dominated by the horizontal flow of the river and the delicate rendering of trees and buildings. The composition directs our gaze from the foreground figures to the distant church spire. Frijtom uses line and tone to create depth, evoking the Dutch landscape's expansive skies and waterways. The plaque embodies a tension between representation and abstraction. The artist employs recognizable motifs, such as boats and figures, yet simplifies them, reducing the scene to its essential forms and patterns. This interplay challenges conventional perspective, inviting us to contemplate the relationship between material representation and conceptual understanding. The work functions as a semiotic system. The monochromatic scheme and precise lines become signs in a visual language, speaking to cultural values of order and clarity, and the way the artwork engages with broader aesthetic discourses. The plaque, therefore, is not merely a decorative object but a complex interplay of signs and meanings.