Bandontwerp 1884 - 1952

This is an undated cover design, made by Reinier Willem Petrus de Vries. The design shows the lettering for ‘Gouda G.B. Van Goor Zonen’ in a decorative frame. De Vries was designing at a time when the Netherlands was seeking a new cultural identity. We see strong, decorative borders using abstracted natural forms, characteristic of the Art Nouveau and Jugendstil movements. These movements had a distinct social agenda. They sought to overcome academic art by focusing on design for ordinary people. De Vries designed posters, book covers and calendars, connecting his art to the world of commerce and mass culture. Institutions like museums and art schools were important in promoting this agenda. This cover testifies to the progressive desire to bring art into everyday life. By looking at historical sources such as exhibition catalogues and design journals we can better understand the institutional and social context for this ‘Bandontwerp’. Only then can we begin to understand the public role of this art, and its challenge to existing social norms.