Ameublement van beuke- en zwart getint without, belijmd met gelakt note-, coromandel-, ebbe- en palmhout en versierd met beeldhouwwerk 1916

Michel de Klerk put together this striking furniture set out of beech, ebony, and palm wood. Imagine the artist in his workshop, wrestling with these materials. The dark, polished wood makes a bold statement, contrasted with pale green upholstery. I see so many different shapes, like subtle curves on the sides of the chairs, or the little tassels which dangle from the back of one chair. It is almost a painting. I can imagine him feeling the weight and texture of the wood, puzzling over how to bring these disparate parts together. There’s a real tension between the heaviness of the wood and the delicacy of the details. Artists everywhere have always been in a conversation with one another like this, pushing boundaries and finding new ways to express their vision.