Vignette 1888 - 1924

This tiny Vignette was made by Julie de Graag, we don't know when, but it’s likely she used pen and ink. The mark making is so deliberate, so reduced, each line feels essential. I love the way a few simple strokes can suggest so much. Looking closely, the solid black shapes at the top contrast with the delicate looping lines below. I wonder if this contrast embodies something? Maybe it’s the way simple forms can be combined into something more complex, how darkness can give rise to light. It reminds me of a little dance, a visual poem written with the simplest of means. De Graag’s work often explores a dialogue between nature and abstraction, something that resonates with Hilma af Klint’s explorations of form and the occult. These are artists who saw the potential for meaning in the most unexpected places. For me, the piece is less about what it depicts and more about the way it invites us to see the world.