Ontwerp voor een tapijt in Het Uiltje 1876 - 1951

This is Theo Nieuwenhuis’ ‘Ontwerp voor een tapijt in Het Uiltje’, a design for a carpet, created with graphite, colored pencil, and possibly watercolor, on graph paper. The overall effect of the carpet design is one of structured complexity, composed of curvilinear forms. Notice how the structure is built on a grid, imposing an order that gives the design its underlying logic. This grid both enables the pattern and subtly influences its character. The organic shapes – leaves and vines – are geometricized, softened by the muted pastel palette that lends the piece an ethereal quality. The design flattens the space, emphasizing surface and pattern over depth. This echoes broader artistic concerns of the period, where artists were challenging traditional notions of representation. Nieuwenhuis here destabilizes the conventional hierarchy between fine art and decorative arts, elevating design to a form of artistic expression. The piece invites us to consider how our surroundings shape our perceptions and experiences.