Plaat keramiek horend bij een schoorsteen uit het huis van Dentz van Schaick c. 1900 - 1905

Editor: This ceramic tile, dating back to around 1900-1905, is by Carel Adolph Lion Cachet. It's currently housed in the Rijksmuseum. I find it quite striking with its stylized symmetry, it gives me an almost mystical feeling. What symbolic readings jump out at you? Curator: This ceramic plate, likely part of a fireplace, really embodies the Art Nouveau and Pattern and Decoration movements. See how geometric and organic forms interplay? This speaks volumes. Do you feel a tension between those seemingly disparate styles? Editor: Yes, I hadn't really noticed it but the longer I look the more it reminds me of a sort of natural symmetry but slightly perverted by sharp, geometric shapes that break what otherwise seems very nature-like. What do you think the significance of such visual contrasts could be? Curator: Perhaps the artist is exploring humanity's complex relationship with nature itself at that time, which was becoming increasingly clear? Notice how the tile evokes both growth and restriction, freedom and containment? These duelling forms resonate deeply, touching on archetypal themes. Do you see a hint of a figure hidden there within its geometric framework? Editor: Oh, yes, now that you mention it I think I see a figure of some kind within it! So, the artwork could be a reflection of the push and pull of different aspects within our humanity? Thanks, I now understand much more about the potential readings for it. Curator: Precisely! And understanding such tension helps reveal a broader conversation of the era. What's particularly fascinating is the plate's connection to a home— a fireplace, no less — where these themes of hearth, heritage and aspiration might find their echo through daily experience.