Model of the lighthouse at De Cocksdorp on Texel

anonymous, 1863

This lighthouse model is remarkable for its wooden structure, which represents brickwork. At the end of World War II this lighthouse on Texel was heavily damaged during a fierce exchange of fire between Georgian prisoners of war, who had barricaded themselves in the building, and German troops, who eventually managed to recapture the lighthouse. After the war, it was rebuilt in concrete.

  • Artwork typescale model, presentation model
  • Object numberNG-MC-1149
  • Dimensionsheight 138.5 cm x diameter 31 cm
  • Physical characteristicswood and brass

anonymous

Model of a Lighthouse

Netherlands, Netherlands, 1863

Conservation

  • Restauratieatelier Scheepsmodellen, 2000: restored

Provenance

...; transferred from the Ministerie van Marine (Department of the Navy), The Hague, to the museum, 1883

Object number: NG-MC-1149

Entry

Model of the Hoogduin lighthouse near De Cocksdorp on the island of Texel (Eierland).

The lighthouse is round and closed. The lower part of the model is made of solid wood with carved details of a door, one semi-circular and ten round windows, and a ring of pilasters beneath the light room. The light room is made of brass and has a dome-shaped roof with an arrow for a weathervane.

The model was transferred to the Navy Model Room in 1864. The lighthouse of Eierland was built in 1863, 27 metres high, ø 5.15-3.95 metres, made of brick and iron. The light-room was replaced in 1907 by a cast iron one; the lighthouse was severely damaged in World War II and afterwards rebuilt by Wieger Bruin with a concrete upper structure.

Literature

J.M. Obreen et al., handwritten inventory list for items 944 to 1431, 1884, manuscript in HNA 476 RMA, inv. no. 1089, no. 1149; J.A. van der Vlis, ’t Lant van Texel, Den Burg 1976, pp. 235-37; L. Crommelin and H. van Suchtelen, Nederlandse vuurtorens. Bouw en organisatie, Nieuwkoop 1978, p. 82, no. 98; R. van der Veen, Vuurtorens. Over vierboeten, lichtwachters en markante bouwwerken, Groningen/Bussum 1981, pp. 57-59, 77, 93, 199; W. Burgers, ‘De ontwerper van de ijzeren vuurtorens. Levensbericht van Quirinus Harder (1801-1880)’, Erfgoed van Industrie en Techniek 6 (1997), no. 2, pp. 59-63.; H. van der Biezen, ‘Licht op Texel’, Scheepshistorie 17 (2014), pp. 110-17

Citation

J. van der Vliet, 2016, 'anonymous, Model of a Lighthouse, Netherlands, 1863', in J. van der Vliet and A. Lemmers (eds.), Navy Models in the Rijksmuseum, online coll. cat. Amsterdam: https://data.rijksmuseum.nl/200316082

(accessed 8 December 2025 03:40:38).