Buitenvermaak 1903 - 1919

Arie Willem Segboer made this print, Buitenvermaak, or “Outdoor Amusements,” with lithography. The colors are subdued, like watercolors, but with a graphic punch. It's this interesting mix of soft and hard that I find so appealing. It's like a collage, with different scenes stacked together. What I love about it is that it doesn’t try to hide how it’s made. You can see the lines, the edges of the different scenes, and the way the colors are laid down. It’s all right there, like a map of the artist’s thinking. Look at the girl sitting on the dock. The whole composition seems to be oriented around her, her gaze downcast. Segboer’s approach reminds me a little of the work of Pierre Bonnard, but with a more direct, less fussy feel. But like Bonnard, it suggests that art is a conversation, a playful exchange of ideas across time. It doesn't need to answer any questions, but to leave us wondering.