Face à main met montuur van verguld koper met wit en donkerblauw email c. 1920

This detailed floral sketch was made by Fa. J.H. Groenink for a hand mirror mount, likely as a preliminary design. The drawing reminds me of building up a painting, how it starts with a loose structure and then you fill it in, adding details. The composition is formed of layers; broad, flat leaf shapes, winding stems, and delicate clusters of tiny flowers. The marks are tentative but confident, almost like the artist is thinking out loud. I'm drawn to the bottom right corner where there are little studies of individual flowers and leaves. It is a glimpse into the artist’s process, the way they are observing and understanding the forms. It makes me think of the relationship between drawing and seeing, and how drawing is a way of knowing. This piece feels like an intimate conversation between the artist, the subject, and the materials. It makes me think of the botanical drawings of someone like Maria Merian, but with a less scientific and more ornamental focus. Art is always echoing, building upon what came before.