Ontwerp voor raam in het Noordertransept in de Dom te Utrecht c. 1934

Richard Nicolaüs Roland Holst made this design for a stained glass window using pencil and gouache, but it's not dated. The way the lines confidently carve out these shapes reminds me that artmaking isn't just about representation; it's about constructing a new way of seeing. The palette is so subtle, mostly sandy hues with whispers of blue and red, creating this muted, almost dreamlike atmosphere. Looking at the material aspects, the texture seems smooth, the gouache evenly applied, but you can still sense the hand of the artist in each line. Notice how the black lines aren't perfectly straight; they waver ever so slightly, giving the design a kind of organic quality. It's like the artist is breathing life into these geometric forms. Holst's commitment to clarity and simplification reminds me of Mondrian, who similarly sought to distill reality to its most fundamental elements. Both artists invite us to see the world not as it is, but as it could be, a space of endless possibility and interpretation.