Vaas van aardewerk, versierd met gestileerde bloemmotieven 1887

This vase, made of earthenware and decorated with stylized floral motifs, was produced by N.V. Haagsche Plateelfabriek Rozenburg. The vase presents a pleasing symmetry: the cylindrical body resting on a rounded base is crowned by a similarly curved rim. The dominant green base and the rim's interior draw the eye, framing the abstract floral patterns painted with blues, yellows, greens and browns. Consider how the Rozenburg factory, working in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, embraced the stylistic principles of Art Nouveau by using natural forms and structures, not to replicate them, but to inform new designs. What we see here is not a literal depiction of flowers, but an exploration of line, color, and organic form that challenges traditional representation. The design destabilizes our understanding of how art can draw from nature, while also existing independently of it. Ultimately, it's the vase's capacity to engage with abstraction, combined with its functional form, that marks its enduring appeal, inviting ongoing appreciation of its aesthetic and conceptual richness.