Ornament met zeepaardje 1884 - 1952

This ornament of a seahorse and another animal was made with pencil on paper by Reinier Willem Petrus de Vries. Imagine the artist’s hand moving swiftly, capturing the delicate forms of the seahorse with such precision. It’s as if they were possessed, channeling a dreamlike vision onto the page. The animal on the right is interesting too. What exactly is that animal doing? And that head...it's very unique. De Vries lets the viewer in on the making process. We see his starting points and his additions. The crosses in the corners are very intriguing. This piece reminds me a little of Henri Matisse, who was always trying to distill an image to its essence, to capture the feeling of a thing rather than its literal appearance. Artists are in an ongoing conversation, aren’t they? Each one building upon the ideas of those who came before, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.