Fragment bedrukte cretonne met patroon van klaver met vlinder binnen spitsovalen 1900 - 1925

This fragment of printed cotton was made by Theo Nieuwenhuis, and it’s got this all-over pattern of clover and butterflies inside pointed ovals. When I look at this, I imagine the artist piecing the whole thing together, shifting the colors and the shapes until it all comes together. I can relate to that, actually! Thinking about how each decision changes the whole. And the colors here are so delicate; the greens and the pale pinks, and the way they play with the background. I wonder if Nieuwenhuis was thinking about gardens when he made this, or maybe just the way that patterns can create a sense of calm and order. I wonder if he was looking at the work of William Morris, who was interested in ideas around nature? Ultimately, I think that artists are always in conversation with each other, exchanging ideas and inspiring new ways of seeing the world.