Omslagontwerp voor: Tijdschrift voor boek- en bibliotheekwezen, 1903 1903

This is a cover design for a journal about books and libraries, made by Reinier Willem Petrus de Vries around 1903. It looks like a blueprint, or an architectural plan, with its gridded surface, hand-drawn letterforms and corner decorations in watery blue ink. I imagine de Vries hunched over his drawing board, carefully plotting out the design, one line at a time. How did he feel about laying out each shape and letter? Is it about utility, legibility, or more about decoration? I want to know about the physical act of making the design. The evenness of the ink, the rhythm of the composition; it's all so calm and orderly. The gentle symmetry and quiet repetition of the design reminds me a little bit of Hilma af Klint’s early botanical drawings. It makes you wonder about how artists are in constant conversation with each other, consciously or not, across time and space. I love how painting, like any creative act, embraces ambiguity and multiple readings.