Vitrinekast bestaande uit een onder- en een bovenkast met opengewerkte panelen in florale motieven c. 1905

This vitrinekast, or display cabinet, was made by Theo Nieuwenhuis, sometime around the turn of the 20th century. I imagine him working with the wood, carving those floral motifs in the openwork panels. It's not paint on canvas, but there's a real physicality to the piece. Look closely, and you can see how his hand moved, carving each detail. Nieuwenhuis is playing with transparency here, too, creating a dance between what’s hidden and what’s revealed. It’s like he's asking us to consider what we choose to display, what we keep secret. He's not just making a functional object. He's creating a space for reflection, a place to contemplate the beauty of the everyday. And in that sense, this cabinet isn't so different from a painting. It's an invitation to slow down, to look closely, and to find meaning in the details.