Bokaal met een bosgezicht met drie herten c. 1920 - 1940

The Gebrüder Lorenz, or Lorenz Brothers, made this glass goblet with a forest scene, probably in the late 19th or early 20th century. It feels like the kind of object that emerges from process, where the material, ruby glass, dictates the form. I love the way the artists have revealed the inner whiteness of the glass by carefully cutting away the outer layer, to reveal a little woodland scene. The shapes are crisp and simple, but that doesn't make them any less charming! Look closely, and you’ll see the texture created by the cutting process, which adds a tactile dimension to the surface, hinting at the work it took to make this. The whiteness of the deer against the ruby background gives a sense of depth and contrast, almost like a photographic negative. It puts me in mind of the work of contemporary artists like Gerhard Richter, who embrace both chance and control in their work. Like Richter, the Lorenz Brothers seem to be saying that art is an ongoing experiment, full of surprises and possibilities.