Ridders en draken 1894 - 1901

Antoon Derkinderen made this drawing of knights and dragons using paper, pencil, and possibly watercolor. The medium influences the overall aesthetic. The choice of paper gives a delicate, handmade quality to the work, contrasting with a contemporary context of industrial production. The artwork has a clear structure. The image features multiple instances of knights in combat with dragons that create a complex vertical rhythm that carries the eye up the page. These mythical figures are interspersed with foliate ornaments. It gives a sense of dynamic movement to the scenes, but it is held in check, neatly laid out in rectangular boxes. Derkinderen was deeply invested in craft traditions, particularly those associated with bookmaking and the Arts and Crafts movement. This movement reacted against the alienation of labor, but Derkinderen also seems to have been influenced by earlier illuminated manuscripts, with its elaborate detail. The drawing thus evokes a pre-industrial world, where meticulous artistry and historical narratives were highly valued.