Vier bidstoelen after 1878

This is a drawing of four prayer chairs, made with watercolor and graphite. At first glance, the chairs might seem like simple furnishings, but the artist’s method transforms them into a study of line, form, and the semiotics of design. Notice how each chair, rendered with precise lines and delicate shading, is presented as a distinct iteration of the "Neo-Gothique." The Gothic style, known for its vertical lines and pointed arches, is abstracted here into simplified forms. Look at the variations in the chair backs, where pointed arches and quatrefoil motifs become a sign for a historical movement. The artist reduces the complex vocabulary to a set of signifiers. Each chair represents a potential choice, a selection within a catalogue, where the act of choosing becomes a form of cultural interpretation. The artist prompts us to consider how these signifiers shape our understanding of style, value, and the very act of consumption.