Plate Painter Claas Jansz Olij(f) in Delft

Claas Jansz. Olij was a plate painter who lived at the Rietvelt street in Delft. Blue and white pottery, also known as “Delft Blue”,  had been made in and around Delft, Holland, from the 16th century onwards. Delftware became popular and was widely exported in Europe. It even reached China and Japan. The most highly-regarded period of production was about 1640-1740. Besides plates and vases, Delft potters also made tiles in vast numbers. 

Claas Jansz. Olij married Magdaleentge Pieters van der Meer on November 13, 1695, in Delft. She was the widow of Niclaes Jansz. van der Heul. They had married in Delft on February 24, 1669. At the time, Niclaes had been a widower of Pieternelle Huijbrechts van Claveren whom he had married in Delft on July 8, 1663. She had been buried in November 1668. 

A “Delft Blue” tile featuring
the New Church of Delft.

Niclaes van der Heul had been living near the New Church of Delft, while working as a fuller in the cloth manufacturing business. Magdaleentge and Niclaes had 3 sons named Jan baptized in Delft in 1670, 1675 and 1683, so the elder boys had likely died young. They had some additional children, but many of them died young, too. Niclaes was last mentioned in May 1684. 

Claes, described as “Nicolaes Jansz. Olijff”, was buried on October 4, 1705, near the New Church of Delft. Magdalena van der Meer, widow of “Klaes van Olijven”, was buried on January 217, 1725, near the New Church of Delft. 

Sources: Collectie-Delft.nl, Histoire de la faïence de Delft.