Uitgeversvignet van J.M. Bredée 1905

Reinier Willem Petrus de Vries made this publishing vignette for J.M. Bredée, and it’s a black and white line drawing of a man hiking uphill, framed by Art Nouveau flourishes. I love the idea of it marking a book! As a painter, I’m really drawn to the idea of a journey. It's a struggle, but you keep going anyway, which is kind of what making art feels like. You're slogging away, not sure if you’re on the right path, but you put one foot in front of the other. I feel like de Vries is cheering me on, too, with this mountaineer as my guide. I can imagine him thinking about the authors he's worked with, wanting to capture the essence of their creative journey. The mountain is a metaphor for the challenges they face, but also for the heights they can reach. And just like a good painting, a good book takes you somewhere, right? Both are acts of exploration and discovery. I think artists and writers are always in conversation with each other, trading ideas and inspiring each other to keep climbing.