Schotel van aardewerk, veelkleurig beschilderd met vegetatieve ornamenten en de letters ORANJE 1923

This earthenware plate, painted with colorful vegetative ornaments and the word "ORANJE," was made by Theo Colenbrander. I imagine him, in his studio, slowly turning the plate as he works, carefully applying each color with a small brush. The plate is divided into sections, each filled with abstract floral motifs, as if he wanted to capture the essence of a blooming garden. The colors are so intense, like jewels on a plate. It makes me wonder what was going through Colenbrander’s mind as he painted these intricate details? What was the inspiration for the vegetal ornaments, and what does the word "ORANJE" signify? Was he inspired by the patterns of Islamic art, or was he following the trends of Art Nouveau? I love how his painting is not flat, but dimensional, it seems to ripple like water. I think of other pattern-based artists like Gustav Klimt. Ultimately, artists are always in dialogue with one another across time and space. This plate embodies the ongoing exchange of ideas, where each brushstroke is both a response to the past and an invitation to the future.