Ontwerp voor titelpagina voor: Stijn Streuvels, Reinaert de Vos, 1910 c. 1910

Bernard Willem Wierink created this title page design for Stijn Streuvels’s version of Reinaert de Vos in 1910. The image evokes a sense of medievalism, connecting the new edition to the source material. The design includes heraldic symbols – lions rampant – and stylized vegetation, creating a sense of historical continuity. But what is most interesting is the prominent inclusion of a symbol incorporating the word ‘labor.’ This hints at the influence of the Dutch socialist movement, in which art was seen as a tool for social change. There are also masonic influences at play, suggesting that this publication was intended to appeal to the progressive cultural values of the Dutch middle classes. To fully understand this image, we might look at the history of Dutch book design, the reception of the Reinaert de Vos stories, and the artistic movements that sought to combine art and social reform.