Parasol met dek witte katoen bedrukt met roze en blauwe vogeltjes, op een bamboe stok met gebogen handvat c. 1930 - 1940

This parasol with white cotton cover printed with pink and blue birds sits in the Rijksmuseum. The birds and flowers create a delicate, decorative pattern that runs around the edge of the umbrella; it’s really cute and joyful. I'm picturing the artist, Gustav Schnitzler, carefully applying these designs, maybe using stencils, or perhaps printing techniques. It's not paint, but the same concepts apply. Imagine being Schnitzler, carefully balancing functionality with decoration. I think about how the curve of the bamboo handle mirrors the gentle sweep of the canopy. In a way, all creative acts are in conversation with each other. This parasol makes me think about the cross-pollination of ideas between different fields and across time. Schnitzler, whether he knew it or not, was participating in a larger creative dialogue, influencing and being influenced by other makers and artists.