Voetenbank bekleed met rode wol 1924

Here is a footstool covered with red wool, made by Hendrik Wouda. The object strikes us with its functional simplicity. The geometric form of the footstool combines the warmth of the red wool and the rawness of the wooden construction, a visual and tactile experience. Wouda, influenced by the De Stijl movement, reduces the design to its basic components. The stool's construction is a play between horizontal and vertical lines, expressing the essential structure of the object. The unadorned surfaces and visible joinery highlight the beauty of craftsmanship and the materials. This reflects a belief in art’s capacity to uncover the intrinsic order of the world. The choice of a simple form becomes a signifier of its utility. This object challenges the traditional boundaries between art and design, inviting contemplation on the underlying principles of form, function, and the constructed environment.