Titelpagina van Gedenkboek der Hollandsche schilderkunst uit het tydperk van 1860 tot 1890 1896

This title page of a commemorative book on Dutch painting from 1860 to 1890 was created in 1896 in Amsterdam by Antoon Derkinderen. It is made with drawing and printing techniques. The design features a meticulously rendered frame of stylized foliage, enclosing the book's title and publishing information. The limited palette of greens and creams gives a sense of understated elegance. The design shows the relationship between the mechanization of print production and the skilled hand labor of the artist. The frame, with its repetitive vegetal motifs, hints at the social context of the Arts and Crafts movement, which reacted against industrialization. The elaborate lettering, with its mix of fonts and sizes, also demanded careful labor, even as it was destined for mechanical reproduction. Consider how Derkinderen embraced these tensions, positioning graphic design as a vital, crafted endeavor. This page bridges the gap between fine art and craft, and ultimately asks us to consider the social implications embedded in the means of production.