Bandontwerp voor: Nescio, Dichtertje, de uitvreter en titaantjes, 1918 before 1918

This is a design for a book cover by Reijer Stolk, made around 1918. The three female figures emerging from vertical lines immediately call to mind the ancient motif of the Three Graces, often associated with beauty, charm, and joy. In classical antiquity, these figures were symbols of abundance and festivity. But here, in Stolk’s rendition, they seem to carry a different weight. They appear stylized, almost geometric, set against a fractured background, perhaps reflecting the disorienting atmosphere of the early 20th century. We see echoes of these Graces in Botticelli’s “Primavera”, where they dance in a celebration of spring, and in Canova’s sculpture, where they embody neoclassical elegance. But in this design, the figures seem less about celebration and more about a kind of burdened emergence. This design taps into a collective memory, a longing for harmony, filtered through the anxieties of a changing world. The motif remains, but its emotional resonance has subtly shifted.