Band met een schelpmotief c. 1901

Here's a pencil drawing by Gerrit Willem Dijsselhof called 'Band met een schelpmotief'. I imagine him holding his sketchbook, quickly capturing the essence of this decorative motif, perhaps for use in a larger design project. It’s just a sketch, a raw idea caught on paper. The rhythmic, undulating lines of the design, with those little shell-like flourishes, suggest something organic, almost floral. I think he's trying to blend the natural with the ornamental, finding a balance between the two. The way the shapes repeat, yet each one is slightly different, has a handmade quality. Dijsselhof was working at a time when artists were really interested in decoration, so maybe this piece shows a little of that experimentation. The design feels like it could be endlessly repeated, a band that could stretch on forever. It's a reminder that even a simple sketch can hold so much possibility, so much potential for growth and transformation.