Annemiekpunt.nl > Nieuwe Kerk Delft > The Competition -
Friday, 7 October 2003 was the date of the official prize-giving ceremony in the Nieuwe Kerk for the winning design for a stained glass window for the church. The Nieuwe Kerk, a top 100 monument, is known to the general public as the ‘royal vault’, as this is where members of the Orange-Nassau family have been buried for centuries.
Annemiek Punt was unanimously chosen as the winner by a five-member jury. Of the 25 artists/stained glass artists who competed for this prestigious price, only four were ultimately asked to create a design. Annemiek was not only the youngest designer of the group, but also the only woman.
Never before has a competition been held for a stained glass window. The jury, moved by the contemporary nature and high quality of Annemiek’s design, agreed unanimously that this window would remain interesting for many a year to come and would have considerable artistic value. The state authorities have since responded positively to the design, thereby giving the official go-ahead. The Nieuwe Kerk is soon to acquire a meaningful asset.
Thanks to the inheritance of Ms Scheepmaker and support from the municipality of Delft, the ecclesiastical authority of the Dutch Reformed Church was able to hold this competition to find a suitable design for one of the Netherlands’ most important monuments. A condition for the competition was that the design depict the raising of Jairus’ daughter.
Annemiek’s design offers various ‘viewing layers’ – a cocoon, butterfly wings, various faces woven together and a hand that points the child towards the light. By not working out everything in detail, the church window will continue to intrigue viewers for years to come. In the evening, when the Nieuwe Kerk is illuminated from the inside, the playful interplay of lines will be clearly seen from the outside. The completion of the work will fulfil the final wish of Ms Scheepmaker-Pruissers.