Ex libris van het familiearchief Van Beresteijn 1908

This bookplate was made by an anonymous artist; can you imagine what the exchange of ideas and techniques might have been like back then? Look closely. See how the ink sits slightly raised on the page? The artist must have been so precise to create this tiny stamp, carefully carving away at the surface to leave behind the image. The heraldic motifs are like little puzzles, each shape and line loaded with meaning. The bold lines create crisp forms and geometric shapes. Can you imagine the conversations this artwork would have started between artists? It’s interesting how this piece makes me think about the conversations artists have across time. What we make today is totally connected to the labor and thinking of those who came before us. Each new idea, each new technique, is built on the foundations laid by countless others. It makes you wonder who they were looking at, what ideas inspired them.