Explore the Historic Mirror Room and Painted Wall Covering at Oude Kerk

Explore the historic Mirror Room, a meticulously restored 18th-century space within the Oude Kerk adorned with vibrant, colourful linen wall coverings featuring floral and bird motifs. Discover the room's evolving functions and the intricate details of its preserved artistry, including the rare use of silver and gold leaf.

The Mirror Room, a distinguished side room of the Oude Kerk, offers a vivid glimpse into 18th-century decorative arts. Originally serving various functions, including as part of the Sacristy and later as an office for marital affairs commissioners, the room now showcases its elegant, colourful linen wall coverings dating from approximately 1760-1770. These coverings, featuring a vibrant palette of flowers and birds, are remarkably preserved, with some elements enhanced by rare applications of silver and gold leaf. The design is notable for its loose, scattered floral motifs rather than ascending tendrils, and the realistic depiction of various flowers like imperial crowns, tulips, and roses. The room also features contemporary wood carvings with shell motifs and a large, gilded mirror. While the room's appearance before the 18th century is largely unknown, the current state reflects a significant restoration effort. This restoration, undertaken after extensive research into the wall coverings' history and condition, aimed to preserve the intricate details that had been obscured by dust, overpaintings, and previous restorations. During this work, older wallpaper canvases were discovered, hinting at even earlier decorative layers within the Oude Kerk's history, further enriching the understanding of the building's layered past.

General admission tickets are available for entry to the Oude Kerk, which houses the Mirror Room. Visitors can purchase regular entry tickets online or potentially at the venue. The Mirror Room is a permanent feature within the Oude Kerk's collection.