Tapijtontwerp voor raam in het Noordertransept van de Dom te Utrecht c. 1868 - 1938

Richard Nicolaüs Roland Holst made this design for a window in the Cathedral of Utrecht, and it looks like it was made with graphite, ink, and gouache on paper. Looking at this, I find myself thinking about process and planning. There’s something almost architectural about the composition, like a blueprint of a building or, appropriately, the stained-glass window that it’s meant to become. The colors are muted – blacks, grays, creams, and golds – and the shapes are hard-edged and geometric. See how the composition is divided into four sections, each containing a different arrangement of shapes? It's like Holst is exploring different possibilities for the same basic design, much like a painter might work through a series of sketches. I’m really drawn to the bottom left panel. There’s a dynamic tension between the straight lines and the more organic, curving shapes. The surface is matte, which gives the whole thing a kind of understated elegance. You can almost feel the artist carefully applying each layer of ink and gouache, building up the image piece by piece. It reminds me a little of Mondrian, but with a softer, more human touch. Ultimately, the piece speaks to me about the act of creation. It embraces experimentation and open-endedness.