Stenen boog 1876 - 1924

Gerrit Willem Dijsselhof sketched this 'Stenen boog' or stone arch, with pencil on paper. Dijsselhof worked in the Netherlands at the turn of the 20th century, a time when the nation was questioning its cultural identity and its relationship to its colonial holdings. Dijsselhof made furniture, batiks, drawings, and graphic designs and he sought to integrate different art forms in the style of Art Nouveau. This sketch, now in the Rijksmuseum, hints at Dijsselhof’s exploration of architectural themes. The lines are tentative, suggesting a mind at work, not interested in grandiose statements, but in the quiet contemplation of form. Art historians can look to the artist's other works to see if he made use of these architectural elements in larger works. His body of work can tell us something about the development of the decorative arts in the Netherlands.