Sjabloon met ornament 1884 - 1952

This 'Sjabloon met ornament'—Stencil with ornament—by Reinier Willem Petrus de Vries, is made with gouache, a kind of opaque watercolor. I'm imagining de Vries in his studio, carefully applying color, probably with a brush or sponge, through the cut-out stencil. You know, you can almost feel the slight messiness of the process. How the paint bleeds a little at the edges. It's like a dance between control and accident, a dance between a plan and letting go of the plan. That central flower-like motif—it's got this really cool, almost psychedelic vibe. And the colours, those muted purples, greens, and oranges, they feel both retro and totally fresh at the same time. De Vries was probably looking at folk art, maybe textiles, and definitely at other painters, because that's what painters do; we are always looking. This artwork is part of an ongoing conversation, echoing and influencing across time. It's a reminder that painting embraces uncertainty, open to endless interpretations.