Typografische banden c. 1890 - 1922

Johanna van de Kamer made this design for typographic borders with ink on paper. Van de Kamer was part of a burgeoning movement in the Netherlands at the turn of the twentieth century interested in design reform. With their stylized tulips and geometric forms, these designs reflect the Dutch iteration of Art Nouveau. The goal of this international style was to create modern designs that were still rooted in the decorative tradition. In the Netherlands, such design work was often commissioned for public buildings, or for commercial products, and this is likely where these bands would have been used. The study of works like these involves looking into archives of industry, design, and architecture, as well as publications of the design reform movements, to see how the imagery of the period relates to the social and political climate of the day. Close attention to the forms of art helps reveal the ideas of the period.