Ornament met gestileerde vlinder 1884 - 1952

This stylized butterfly ornament was made by Reinier Willem Petrus de Vries. I can imagine the artist, carefully rendering each shape with paint, intuitively building the image from the dark background, watching this symmetrical design emerge. The palette is muted, mostly brown and beige, which gives the image an earthy and organic feel. I wonder if de Vries was thinking about art nouveau when creating this work. The curvilinear lines and decorative motifs certainly suggest this movement. What strikes me most is the controlled nature of the brushstrokes. The symmetry of the composition adds a layer of formality, but then I notice the small imperfections, the little drips and wobbles that reveal the artist’s hand. I bet he was thinking about the relationship between nature and design, and how the two can come together to create something beautiful and unique. It reminds me how we, as artists, are always in conversation with those who came before us.