Parasol bespannen met een dek van witte bedrukte katoen met een strooipatroon van roze roosjes op een lichte houten stok c. 1930 - 1940

This parasol with a canopy of white printed cotton and a pattern of pink roses, was made by Gustav Schnitzler, and now lives in the Rijksmuseum. Look at how the maker of this parasol approached the canvas. The cotton is covered with the pattern of roses which make it very appealing. The simplicity and innocence of a bright summer day comes to mind. The physical qualities, like the texture of the cotton and the light wood, make the piece very appealing. The simplicity is striking, there's a kind of naive optimism. Look at how the printed roses are applied. They're scattered just so, not too dense, not too sparse. This particular touch gives the parasol a sense of whimsy and charm. You could see this piece in relation to the work of someone like Laura Owens, who also plays with pattern and surface. Both artists demonstrate that art is an ongoing conversation, a playful exchange of ideas across time. It's all about embracing ambiguity, letting multiple interpretations bloom, just like those little roses.