Bandontwerp voor: Nannie van Wehl, Het moeilijke begin, 1915 before 1915

Willy Sluiter designed this poster, using pencil and watercolour, for Nannie van Wehl’s book, 'Het moeilijke begin', around 1915. I look at it and I imagine the pale blue wash coming first. Then the ochre of the desk, and finally the black lines – confident but still… illustrative. I feel for Willy here, because the image is so clear. They were tasked with a kind of symbolic representation. The figure hunches, concentrating, writing. How often have I done that? So, I wonder if the artist was a writer too? What were they thinking, looking at this young person and her difficult beginning? Were they sympathetic? Did they wish they were painting the sea instead? The funny thing about painting is that you can see the artist thinking. Even in the thinnest line, there's a decision, a feeling, a kind of bravery. And that little signature! Like, ‘Yep, I did that.’ Bravo, Willy. Bravo, Nannie.