Ontwerp voor een glas in loodraam met twee vogels en ornamenten after 1907

This design for a stained-glass window, featuring two birds and ornaments, was made by an anonymous artist. It’s a study in balance and line, where the artist uses a limited palette to create depth. I love the way the dark outlines really pop – they remind me of lead in a stained-glass window, but here they are drawn, almost tentative. The two birds, perched like mirror images, are rendered with a delicate touch, their feathers suggested by tiny, rhythmic marks. The surface of the paper peeks through the colours, reminding you that this is a study, a plan. Look at the ornaments, those little circles and swirls, and how they seem to hold the birds in place. This design gives the impression of something solid, crafted, but it retains a fragility, like a half-remembered song. It reminds me of Hilma af Klint, how she used geometric forms to hint at hidden worlds. Art is a conversation, isn't it?