Ornamentele rand met bladmotieven 1900 - 1924

This leaf-motif border print was made by Willem Karel Rees, likely as a book cover or a poster. I can imagine Rees carefully working on the block for this print. The positive and negative shapes must have been a real puzzle! I am always in awe of anyone who can work so precisely. It’s like when you see a painting that’s super photo-realistic; it makes you think, how did they DO that? I find myself following the vines up and down, around the text. The leaves overlap and mirror each other. All of the minute variations speak to the artist’s hand. Did Rees consider how the vines created a sense of depth? Did he want to draw attention to the text? Or was it purely decorative? I love how a simple pattern can open so many avenues for thought.