Prikking vastgeregen op een dubbele lap katoen voor het maken van een deel van een kraag van naaldkant c. 1915s

This drawing on cotton is a lace pattern, made by a Belgian internee in Amersfoort, at the Village Elisabeth. Look at the thin black lines that make up this piece, carefully mapping out the design like a spider’s web. I can imagine the artist hunched over this little patch of fabric, patiently building up the pattern dot by dot, line by line. What do you think they were thinking as they drew? Was it a way to pass the time, a meditation, or a way to feel connected to home? Maybe it was all these things at once. The drawing reminds me of Agnes Martin’s grids, but the lace design gives it a softness, a delicacy that sets it apart. Each curved line and little circle feels like a tiny, tender gesture. It’s amazing to think about how artists, even in the most difficult circumstances, find ways to create beauty. This lace pattern is a testament to the human spirit.