Titelkader 1884 - 1952

This is 'Titelkader' by Reinier Willem Petrus de Vries. It's difficult to say when it was made, but it's likely that the artist used ink on paper. It looks like a hand-drawn title page, probably for a travel journal, or 'Reisherinneringen' as it says in Dutch. I like to imagine de Vries carefully drawing each letter, maybe thinking about the places he'd been, or the adventures he’d had on his travels. I’m picturing him pausing, dipping his pen in ink, and then precisely rendering each detail. The lines are thick, the marks are bold, and the little floral motifs are charmingly symmetrical. It reminds me how much the personal touch and character of the mark are important in a work, especially one like this, which is like a little portal into someone else's world and their memories. It makes me want to grab a pen and start documenting my own daily adventures.