Ontwerp voor raam in het Amsterdams Lyceum 1922

This is Richard Nicolaüs Roland Holst’s design for a stained-glass window in the Amsterdam Lyceum, rendered in chalk and charcoal. Rather than traditional art materials, these are the tools of the draftsman, used for preparatory sketches. The material choices here are crucial. The chalk and charcoal allow for a suggestive, atmospheric quality, playing with light and shadow. You can almost feel the way light would filter through colored glass. Holst uses the chalk to simulate the effect of sunlight on the figure’s face, and the charcoal to give weight and volume to the heavy cloak. The design evokes medieval stained glass. Yet, it also nods to modernism, with its bold lines and simplified forms. Holst has taken the traditional craft of stained glass and re-imagined it for a modern audience. By combining time-honored techniques with modern aesthetics, Holst blurs the lines between craft and fine art. He invites us to appreciate not just the image but the process of creation. The design suggests that even within the framework of tradition, there is room for innovation.