Tussenzetsel van zwarte tuledoorstop met bloem- en bladmotief c. 1920

Here we have a length of black tulle lace with flower and leaf motifs by Gustav Schnitzler, currently held at the Rijksmuseum. Lace is so interesting because it's like drawing in three dimensions; it’s all about negative space, what isn’t there as much as what is. I love how this piece lets you see the mechanics of its construction; the knots, threads and weaves are visible, even celebrated. It’s like a map of the artist’s process. The deep black of the tulle gives the flowers and leaves a shadowy, almost gothic feel, yet they’re rendered with such delicacy. The texture invites you to reach out and touch it, feel the give and take of the threads. For me, this piece speaks to the ongoing conversation between craft and art, where repetition and variation create something that transcends its individual components. It reminds me a little of Eva Hesse’s rope sculptures, where mundane materials become something strangely beautiful and profound through repetition and careful construction.