Ontwerp voor raam in het Noordertransept in de Dom te Utrecht c. 1934

Richard Nicolaüs Roland Holst made this design for a window in the North transept of the Dom Church in Utrecht. It’s all these ruddy reds and deep browns, like a stained-glass window in charcoal and chalk. I love how the colors aren’t just filled in, but scumbled and layered, creating this real sense of depth and texture. Holst isn’t trying to hide the process; it’s right there on the surface, these visible layers of mark-making. Look at the way the charcoal almost dissolves into the paper in some areas, while in others, it’s applied with a heavier hand, creating these bold, graphic lines. It reminds me of some of the early modernist stained glass designs, like you might see in the work of someone like Mondrian, but with a much earthier, more tactile quality. It’s a reminder that art isn’t just about the finished product, but about the journey, the messy, imperfect process of bringing something into being.