The Choephore Statue

 

Following the celebration of Dordrecht 800 years in 2020, Dordrecht based artist Gerhard Lentink (Deventer, 1956) presented his proposal for the realization of a twenty one meter high statue at the tip of the so-called ‘Stadswerven’ where the rivers Merwede and Wantij merge. In the late Middle Ages there was a huge wooden statue of a man holding the city banner at the entrance of the Wine Harbour, which was called ‘Hanneken van Dordt’. The statue was erected shortly after 1486 and probably demolished in 1597.

Lentink’s design Choephore* encompasses a contemporary “reincarnation” of this statue in the shape of a young woman carefully balancing a large bowl before her, and stepping forward with her right foot toward the river, symbolically illustrating the city’s connection to water. Popularly and in the local media, the design was quickly dubbed “Hanneken van Dordt“, which is also the name of the foundation that supports the creation of the statue.

The sculpture is constructed as an open structure of steel corner profiles, where only the bowl (diameter 4.44 m) is covered with wooden planks. The artist is looking for a “‘crane aesthetic’ that results in an ephemeral appearance, like a three-dimensional stained glass window without glass.”

The statue stands on an openwork, shelter-like concrete pedestal (height 4.88 m) in the shape of a ship’s bow. This consists of a cover plate supported by ten conical columns. The dimensions are related to those of the architectural elements in the immediate vicinity.

In June 2021 Lentink completed the over four meters high 1:5 aluminum scale model of the statue. This model becomes the ‘vehicle’ in discussions with constructors, implementers and financiers. It has since been exhibited at ten locations in the Dordrecht region. Since September 20, 2025, the model is displayed in the choir of the former St. Boniface Church in Dordrecht.

The original location for the statue at the tip of the ‘Stadswerven’ has been rejected after a TNO report indicated that the sculpture could potentially disrupt the observation of four shore radars. At the request of the municipal council, Lentink made a new location proposal.

In this proposal, the statue will be moved back 500 meters to the heart of the district Stadswerven in the water of the river Wantij near Hotel Villa Augustus and the Kinepolis cinema complex.

The ‘Hanneken van Dordt’ Foundation is currently fundraising for the project.

“It seems to me a fantastic idea that, after more than four centuries, the city of Dordrecht would have a contemporary successor to the lost statue of Hanneken van Dordt. As new icon for a centuries-old city.” The artist said.

* Choephore (Greek) means: ‘libation bearer’.

More information (in Dutch):
– Newsletter 3, January 2013 – pages 1-3
– Newsletter 7, June 2016 – pages 8-10
– Interview RTV Rijnmond (3 October 2019)
– Newsletter 12, September 2019 – pages 6-23
– Newsletter 13, July 2020 – pages 1-18, 20-21
– Newsletter 14, March 2021 – pages 1-9
– Een beeld voor de Stadswerven – documentary by Fokko van der Straaten, RTV Dordrecht (84 minutes)
– Newsletter 15, January 2022
– Newsletter 16, September 2022 – pages 3-6
– Newsletter 17, June 2023 – pages 2-5
– www.hannekenvandordt.nl
– Newsletter 18, November 2023 – page 10
– Newsletter 19, October 2024 – pages 2-6, 57-61
– Newsletter 20, November 2025 – pages 30-39