Ontwerp voor een bankbiljet 1912

Curator: Gazing at this piece, it's all about order and restraint, isn’t it? Editor: Absolutely. When I look at this geometric drawing on paper, I sense a peculiar stillness. It feels like a blueprint of the soul, mapped out in severe lines. Curator: This fascinating design, created by Antoon Derkinderen in 1912, is actually titled "Ontwerp voor een bankbiljet," a study for a banknote. It's fascinating to consider the art involved in something as utilitarian as currency. Editor: So, money as a mandala! I see repeating forms, especially the circle. Since the dawn of time, the circle symbolizes totality, the Self in Jungian terms, perhaps Derkinderen wanted to embed a little bit of the infinite in our daily transactions. A subtle wish for wholeness, wouldn't you say? Curator: Or perhaps a desire for stability and trustworthiness in an age of change. What seems like simple shapes can embody grand ambitions, right? And the meticulous nature of the lines! As an artist, it reminds me how control can both create order, but also stifle genuine expression. There's something so contained in these shapes, it gives me the chills! Editor: Chills, yes! Each form here, the square, the curve, seems to be caught between something familiar and something disturbingly alien. The tension is created through subtle asymmetry. The effect leaves you off balance. Think about the historical moment: the world on the brink of the first global conflagration. Money about to become worthless, social orders toppled. Is Derkinderen reflecting such a hidden trauma, hidden anxiety? Curator: That's a powerful observation. It's hard to unsee the potential unease once you think about it in relation to its historical time. Well, seeing it that way just added new shades to the piece for me! Editor: For me as well. The symbolic value has come into focus. Curator: And I am more than intrigued by how a draft can evoke the world at war.