Vignet met twee leeuwen en een kroon c. 1910

Here's a delicate vignette with two lions and a crown by Bernard Willem Wierink. It’s all in pale gold on a creamy ground and you can see the hand of the artist in every tiny detail. I imagine Wierink hunched over his table, peering through his spectacles, carefully painting each lion’s mane and crown. Did he enjoy painting these tiny heraldic emblems? Was he lost in the process or did he find the intricate detail tedious? I imagine he’s thinking about the long history of heraldry, how painting is like a conversation across time, each artist building on what came before. I like the confident symmetry of the lions, balanced and regal. The gold is understated and the lions feel very grounded. You can feel Wierink’s presence, his touch, and it reminds me that painting, even on this miniature scale, is a way of thinking, of feeling, of being in the world. The history of painting unfolds through uncertainty, and it embraces multiple readings.