The new ornament for the Utrechtse Poort in Naarden-Vesting is almost finished. A great moment for the initiators Joop and Kees who have been working on this for four years.
Since the Second World War, the ornament on the Utrechtse Poort in Naarden-Vesting has disappeared. The Naardernezen Joop Kruijswijk and Wim Kloosterman played at and on the gate as a child. They knew then that the work had to come back, or at the very least be replaced. “This device is simply class,” says the overjoyed Kruijswijk.
Old construction drawings
And after four years of lobbying, raising money and hiring an artist team, the new ornament is almost finished. Sculptor Willem Noyons and his colleagues found old architectural drawings and photos during their research. Based on that, they copied the image in four weeks. “Most parts are made of foam with wax over it. Wax is very nice to model in.”
The only thing that still needs to be molded is the banner, the flag and the belt around the shield, after which the work can be cast in bronze. “A refractory layer is applied, after which the wax is melted out. Then the bronze can be poured in.”
The initiators and other stakeholders still had to guarantee for a while, because there is still a small gap in the budget of 3,000 euros. “We are almost at the finish line,” says Kloosterman enthusiastically.
At the beginning of September, the ornament should finally be placed on the Utrechtse Poort.