Ornament met bladeren c. 1910

Bernard Willem Wierink made this ornament with leaves out of paper. I'm struck by the single colour, this sienna red which is not just a colour, it's a feeling. Imagine Wierink carefully carving the leaves. Each cut is a decision. Look closely and you’ll see a continuous, deliberate line which represents the leaf pattern. What kind of mood was he in? What was he thinking when he decided on that specific leaf shape, that little curve? It is a scene of rhythm and repetition, yet not without slight variation that makes this piece so comforting. It reminds me of Matisse's cut-outs, but there's an intimacy here, something so personal, like a diary entry made with a knife. It’s a form of expression, a form of embodied expression, and that makes all the difference.