Vaas beschilderd met takken met seringen en een spin in zijn web 1902

Curator: Good morning. We're looking at a ceramic vase from 1902, "Vaas beschilderd met takken met seringen en een spin in zijn web"—that’s "Vase Painted with Branches with Lilacs and a Spider in its Web" in English—produced by the N.V. Haagsche Plateelfabriek Rozenburg. Editor: What immediately strikes me is the delicate tension; the flowing Art Nouveau handles reach up elegantly, almost echoing the gentle curves of the lilac branches depicted on the ceramic, but then you have the rigid geometry of the spiderweb, contrasting so sharply with everything else. Curator: That juxtaposition is rather telling of the period. Art Nouveau was embraced by the elite as modern and beautiful, yet there was an undercurrent of anxiety about social change and the decay of tradition reflected in the more macabre or unusual natural motifs like the spider. Rozenburg became known for these kinds of pieces for wealthy patrons. Editor: I agree, that web certainly catches the eye, literally and figuratively! And I think the spider becomes an essential component of the piece. The artist meticulously renders the fragile yet intricate design. This suggests ideas beyond the purely decorative, it evokes fragility, and transience. Curator: Precisely. In a way, this vase, intended for domestic display, subtly brings the anxieties of the turn of the century into the home. The spider web could also symbolize the interconnectedness of things, and how the wealthy elite were dependent on the labor of others, the delicate and complex social system that could break apart any minute. Editor: Or how nature itself holds life and death in precarious balance, I’d add, especially in its formal relationship with such exquisite details. Curator: So, it seems that a vase depicting beauty actually reflects more than what we initially see! Editor: Absolutely. What seems at first to be something of purely decorative fancy actually evokes complex meanings, all within the delicate material and thoughtful artistry.