Band met een schelpmotief c. 1901

Gerrit Willem Dijsselhof made this sketch of a shell motif band, and you can almost feel him working out the curves and rhythms of the design right on the page. The graphite lines are so delicate, so tentative, that it's like watching an idea take shape in real time. I love how the shell pattern repeats but never feels rigid. Each one has its own little quirks, its own personality. It’s less about perfection and more about the joy of the making. And look at the way the lines vary in thickness. It’s like Dijsselhof is using the pressure of his pencil to create a sense of depth and movement. When I look at the little flourishes and swirls I think of the Vienna Secession movement and the work of people like Gustav Klimt, who celebrated decoration and ornament in their work. It’s a reminder that art is always in conversation with itself, constantly borrowing, remixing, and reinventing.