Photos: Jan Gabrielsz. Sonjé (Delft circa 1625 - Rotterdam 1697), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Muesse, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 Michielverbeek, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo credits
Photos: Jan Gabrielsz. Sonjé (Delft circa 1625 - Rotterdam 1697), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Muesse, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 Michielverbeek, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Royal Delft, painted by hand
Your local guide
Anke Hendriks
View profile
Highlights
- A design painted in one unbroken line
- Hand-painted work versus printed copies
- The last factory still working this way
- A painter's hands, filmed close up
- Spotting hand-painted Delftware afterwards
About this tour
This session watches a Delftware painter at work through the workshop window, then moves to the courtyard to compare finished pieces. You see a design go onto raw clay in one unbroken line and learn what separates genuine hand-painted work from a printed copy. It stays close to one building rather than covering the wider town.
We start at the window and I let the painting itself carry the first few minutes before explaining what is happening stroke by stroke. Questions come naturally once viewers spot the irregularities I mention, and I answer them as we move to the courtyard. A short note on spotting hand-painted pieces follows by message.
It suits anyone curious about traditional craft who wants to see it happen rather than just hear about it. It also works well before a walk through the old town, since the blue and white pattern reappears everywhere once you know what to look for.
Included
- Live video walk with a local guide
- Questions to your guide all the way
- A short list of places to visit later
Not included
- Internet connection
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
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Welcome and sound check 5 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of Delft before heading out.
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Royal Delft workshop window 21 min
The camera holds on a painter's hands through the workshop window, tracing a design onto unfired clay in a single continuous line, and I explain how few factories still do this by hand.
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Royal Delft courtyard 21 min
In the courtyard, you see finished pieces displayed under glass, and I explain how to tell a hand-painted piece from a printed one by the small irregularities in the brushwork.
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Your questions 9 min
Time to ask anything about Delft: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
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A short list to keep 4 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Stroopwafel and Binnenstad, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in Amsterdam time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 8 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through Delft, showing you Royal Delft workshop window and Royal Delft courtyard live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
Do I need any background in art?
No. The guide explains what matters as you go, whatever you already know or do not.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- We meet on Google Meet; the link comes with your booking. I walk Delft live with my phone.
Times shown in Amsterdam time (CET)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
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Next: Tue 24 Nov · 8 seats left From 22,00 €
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