Insect 1884 - 1952

This artwork is a small depiction of an insect by Reinier Willem Petrus de Vries. It's so tiny, like a little jewel of design! The artist used simple black lines and squares on a grid to capture the essence of the insect. I can imagine him carefully plotting each line, each little detail, building up the insect form like a tiny architect. It reminds me of Sol LeWitt's wall drawings, where simple rules create complex patterns. There’s something so satisfying about that kind of systematic approach. I wonder if De Vries was thinking about the insect as a symbol, maybe of perseverance or transformation? It is so economical, yet it has this monumental quality. I always get such a kick out of artists speaking to each other across time and space, trading ideas and pushing the boundaries of how we see the world. Isn’t painting just the best?