Ontwerp voor schildering Algemene Nederlandsche Diamantbewerkersbond: Vrijheid 1878 - 1938

This is Richard Nicolaüs Roland Holst’s sketch, made with graphite on paper, for a mural for the Dutch Diamond Workers’ Union. It is a preliminary work, so the processes involved are not those of grand artmaking. The medium of graphite allows for a precision and control of the image, with a silvery sheen that’s typical of the material. Roland Holst worked out the composition in great detail. You can see the figure of Freedom striding purposefully, and the rays of light emanating from the sun behind her. What is compelling here is that the artist has put his refined skills at the service of the labor movement. Diamond cutting was a highly specialized trade in Amsterdam, dominated by Jewish workers who were subject to exploitation. Roland Holst took the means of making—in this case, drawing—and applied it to a political cause. The drawing represents not just an aesthetic vision, but a social one. It reminds us that even the most seemingly straightforward materials can be imbued with layers of meaning and purpose.