Omslag van: De dierenvriend. Geïllustreerd tijdschrift voor dierenvrienden, october 1907 1907

This is the cover of "The Animal Friend", an illustrated magazine for animal lovers, made in 1907 by Reinier Willem Petrus de Vries. Look at this cool cat sitting between these two sleek dogs. Above, peacocks spread their delicate plumage. I wonder if de Vries was an animal lover himself? Did he have a studio full of pets roaming around, inspiring him? The Art Nouveau style reminds me of other artists and designers from the time who were thinking about nature, decoration and what would become 'modern'. Here, these images aren’t trying to mimic reality, but rather distill it into a kind of visual poem. What feeling do you get when you look at the shapes? It’s amazing how these elegant lines can convey so much, right? It makes me think about the power of simplicity, the way a single curve can capture the essence of a thing. It’s a good reminder that art is always in conversation with art.