Decoratief patroon met driehoeken c. 1916 - 1945

Curator: Here we have "Decoratief patroon met driehoeken," or "Decorative Pattern with Triangles," a pencil drawing on paper made sometime between 1916 and 1945, now residing at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: Ah, yes. It's so light, so airy...almost like a preliminary sketch of some forgotten architectural detail. The pencil lines are so delicate; I feel as though a gust of wind could erase them. Curator: Indeed. The work feels provisional, as if the artist, Reijer Stolk, was experimenting. I see a horizon line above and below a repeating motif of triangles. There also seem to be little doodles inside. Editor: I'm especially drawn to the marks *inside* the triangles – X’s and O’s playfully interrupt the clean lines, introducing a human element that contrasts with the rigidity of geometric shapes. Is there writing, too? It almost looks like shorthand… Curator: Yes! Some cursive text. My understanding is these were notes on various textile colours. One can only imagine how these experiments served a purpose to the artist when considering new pattern applications. The "Decorative Pattern" reads now more like a record, in the tradition of the sketchbook rather than high modern abstraction. Editor: So, a bridge between pure geometric form and practical application in decorative design? It speaks to how the "fine arts" constantly borrow from and elevate the so-called "applied arts," blurring the lines of high and low culture. Makes me wonder who might be considering pattern application from architecture today. Curator: Absolutely! The Rijksmuseum holding onto this object speaks to its importance as more than a draft, its an indexical record and source document for what we come to understand is good design in its historical context. Editor: In closing, what began as a simple sketch becomes a gateway to considering art and society, then. I’ll definitely walk away considering the context and the conditions when viewing abstract art. Curator: For me it signals an invitation to reconsider the potential locked away in even the most ephemeral drawings—reminding us to value all works as expressions of lived life.