Ornamenten c. 1901

Gerrit Willem Dijsselhof created this study of Ornamenten using pencil on paper. These aren't highfalutin materials, but rather the everyday tools of a designer. Looking closely, we see a cascade of motifs, from the organic and flowing forms that seem to sprout from a central point, to more geometric iterations. The horizontal lines of the notebook paper peek through, reminding us of the study's provisional status, a sketch of the imagination rather than a finished composition. Dijsselhof worked as a decorative artist, using his designs for furniture, textiles, and other functional objects. That invites the question: what kind of labor does this drawing represent? Is it the free play of creativity, or a more constrained form of intellectual work, directed toward a specific commission? Perhaps it's both. Dijsselhof's hand is present in every swirling line, yet also in service to the demands of the market. By appreciating both aspects of the design, we get a fuller sense of its place in the world, and in the history of art.