Sjabloon met ornament 1884 - 1952

Reinier Willem Petrus de Vries made this stencil with ornament, probably in the early 20th century, using gouache, graphite and paper. It’s an artwork about design, but it's also about process. The brown paper has some smudges and splatters, which I love. It shows the artist at work, not too precious, experimenting with the shapes, lines and colors. The main design, which seems to be a monogram, is so clean and graphic. But all around it there’s a lot of messy play happening. I find it exciting when the formal and the informal sit side-by-side. There’s a light green halo of dots, but also some smears of yellow, brown and even blue paint. It’s like the artist was thinking out loud with color. Looking at this piece, I'm reminded of the work of someone like Paul Klee, who also mixed playful experimentation with graphic precision. Art is a conversation, after all, an ongoing exchange of ideas across time.