Ontwerp voor ereteken voor trouwe dienst, Calvé, Delft 1924

Richard Nicolaüs Roland Holst designed this presentation drawing for a service award certificate using ink, graphite, and watercolor. I can imagine Holst at his desk, carefully drafting this design, a mix of classical and modern elements for Calvé, the Dutch food company. The figure of Mercury, with his winged sandals, strides confidently forward. Did Holst consider the symbolism of speed and efficiency, qualities the company might have valued? There's a tension here between the flat decorative patterns and the illusion of depth, especially in the figure. The palette, limited to reds, blacks, and creams, adds a graphic punch, almost like a poster. It reminds me of other design work from the period, where artists were blurring the boundaries between fine art and commercial design. Holst was part of a wider movement of artists and designers thinking about how to bring art into everyday life.