Sluitvignet met drie maraboes 1892 - 1894

Gerrit Willem Dijsselhof created this printing block, Sluitvignet met drie maraboes, sometime before 1924. It's a relief print, likely made with a linoleum or wood block. Dijsselhof was a Dutch artist working at the intersection of the fine and decorative arts. Here, three Marabou storks are neatly arranged and stylized into an aesthetically pleasing emblem, but for what purpose? As the 'sluitvignet' title suggests, this design would have been printed at the end of a text, like a publisher's mark, as seen here in the corner of the book, marking the end of Wagner's entry. This image highlights a core element of graphic design: its function as a facilitator of commerce. The careful carving of the block, combined with the mechanical reproduction of the printed image, speak to both the labor involved in production, and its purpose as a signifier for the publisher. Dijsselhof's approach to the applied arts invites us to reconsider the distinction between craft and fine art, reminding us that all creative work is embedded in a context of materials, making, and, ultimately, the marketplace.