Ornament met vlinder 1884 - 1952

Reinier Willem Petrus de Vries made this ornament, probably with ink on paper, sometime in the early 20th century. The mark-making here is so precise and deliberate; it looks like each curve and dot was considered and reconsidered, built up slowly. It's all about process; it's not about speed or gesture. The shapes are so interesting, too. They're almost symmetrical, but not quite, and this creates a kind of visual tension. The butterfly at the bottom is particularly striking. The way the wings are suggested with these bold lines and curves gives it a sense of weight. It reminds me of some of the early modernists, like Hilma af Klint, who were also interested in the spiritual and symbolic dimensions of form. It feels like a study, or a sketch, so economical in its use of line and form. But it’s this economy that gives the piece its power. It reminds us that art can be about paring things down to their essence, finding the beauty in simplicity.