Ontwerp voor een glas in loodraam met bloemen, vruchten en slakken after 1907

Here we have a design for a stained glass window panel made with pen and watercolour, by an anonymous artist. Imagine the artist’s hand moving across the paper, delicately rendering these curling tendrils and elaborate flourishes. It’s easy to imagine the artist hunched over a drawing board, carefully outlining the composition and experimenting with different colours and patterns. I feel for the artist, as they consider the challenges of translating this design into glass. The palette is muted and gentle – pastel blues, soft pinks, and pale yellows, all contained within a strict grid. The black outlines give definition to the composition. I love the snails that are climbing up either side of the design and am intrigued by the strange collection of blooms, fruit, and snails, motifs which recur across the decorative arts. Looking at this piece, I’m reminded that art is an ongoing dialogue across time, a conversation between artists who build upon each other’s ideas, inspiring new modes of creative expression. And for me, this drawing whispers of beauty, patience, and the endless possibilities of ornamentation.