Ontwerp voor drukwerk 1890 - 1946

This is a design for print work, made by Cornelis Vreedenburgh. It is made with graphite on paper, humble materials for a design that would presumably be realized on a printing press. As a sketch, it captures a fascinating moment in the production process. The design is fairly simple, a border with swags of ribbon framing a blank space. The word ‘OLANDO’ is written at the top, with ‘Publico’ at the bottom, indicating its potential use as promotional material. The slightness of the marks shows that the artist is feeling his way towards a final design, weighing the balance of frame to the central image. This makes you wonder about all the steps that would follow: the transfer of this sketch onto printing plates, the choreography of inking and impression, and ultimately its distribution into the world. So much labor, so much artistic intention, embedded in an ephemeral piece of paper. It goes to show, materials, making, and context are key to understanding the full meaning of any artwork.