Ex libris van P.H. Burgers 1916

This bookplate was made by Richard Nicolaüs Roland Holst, but I don’t know when. It's an ‘Ex Libris’, meaning ‘from the books of’ in Latin. The artwork probably belonged to someone with the initials P.H. Burgers. I imagine the artist making the print. What was he thinking when he carved those lines? It shows a man tilling a field with an ox. Look closely! A small boy follows behind, also working. The figures are silhouetted, giving them a monumental quality. It has the quality of something very old, like an Egyptian frieze. What did it feel like for Holst to reduce the world to these simplified forms? Art making is a conversation, an ongoing exchange across time. Holst may have been inspired by the graphic work of artists like Aubrey Beardsley. Today, we can look at his work and feel inspired too. When looking at art, we embrace ambiguity, allowing for multiple interpretations. Isn't that cool?