Boekband voor: Rob S. Ball, Het ontstaan der aarde, 1902 1902

This book cover, probably made with stencils, maybe even linocuts in 1902, has simple pinkish-red and black shapes. It’s a bit like a constructivist daydream. I can imagine the person who made it carefully cutting out each shape, inking it up, and pressing it onto the cover. I wonder what they were thinking as they were arranging the elements, the sunburst and cute little earth. Were they imagining the vastness of space? Or were they just trying to make something that looked cool and modern? You know, making a book cover is a bit like making a painting. You’re trying to grab someone’s attention, to give them a hint of what’s inside. It’s a conversation, a way of sharing ideas and inspiring each other. The way artists do, across time.