Monogram van C. Schillemans 1884 - 1952

This monogram for C. Schillemans by Reinier Willem Petrus de Vries looks like it came into being in a single sitting, with black ink. I imagine the artist sitting at a table with a very fine brush, or perhaps a steel nib pen. You know, when I see work like this, I think about a whole history of image-making. The kind of obsessive mark-making that you see in outsider art or folk art—where the artist is driven by some inner need to cover every surface, every corner. But there’s also a real restraint and elegance here. It’s like De Vries is channeling both a wild, untamed energy and a refined, decorative sensibility. Look at how the black ink seems to dance and weave across the surface. I'm struck by the contrast between the solid shapes and those little dots, which feel almost musical. It’s as if he’s trying to find the perfect balance between chaos and control, between expression and decoration. It's a lovely little thing.