In Zeemanshuis Stella Maris, the former home for seafarers, there is a small chapel on the ground floor dedicated to Mary Stella Maris. The chapel receives its light because the facade has been shifted slightly outwards in places and connected to the building by narrow stained-glass windows (by sculptor Frans Fritschy). The exterior wall of this chapel, a freestanding concrete wall measuring four by four meters, was created by artist Bas van der Smit. He received the commission for this during the construction of the home in 1953. Using the then very popular concrete sgraffito technique, he created a stylized relief in the colors black, white, and red. The color planes align with the depth lines in the relief. The work depicts the Madonna and Child (top left) protecting the sailor, who holds both hands on the steering wheel, from the turbulent waters. The artwork therefore bears the title Sailor on steering wheelSince 2000, the building served as a hotel, but today real estate company HousHunting is the owner of the property.
