Letters c. 1910

Bernard Willem Wierink designed these Letters with etching around the turn of the century in the Netherlands. The image presents a grid of ornate letterforms, each block a little world of design. The Arts and Crafts movement, influential at the time, rejected industrial production, favouring instead a return to handcrafted design and the supposed values of pre-industrial society. Wierink's letters, with their meticulous detail, fit into this ethos. But beyond mere aesthetics, the Arts and Crafts movement aimed to reform society, believing that beautiful, well-made objects could improve people's lives and counter the alienating effects of industrial capitalism. To truly understand this artwork, one might delve into the archives of design schools and workshops that fostered this revival of artisanal skills. One could also explore the economic and social critiques of the period, understanding the image not just as a decorative piece but as a statement about the value of labor and the role of art in a changing world.