Bermplanten 1874 - 1875

Curator: Here we have "Bermplanten," or "Verge Plants," a pencil drawing on paper created between 1874 and 1875 by Willem Cornelis Rip. Editor: It’s all about texture, isn't it? A field of softly prickly edges rendered with the simplest tool—the humble pencil. I immediately feel a craving for spring air and slightly damp earth. Curator: Absolutely. The pencil work creates a kind of tactile illusion. What fascinates me is how Rip chose this very specific collection of roadside plants as his subject, elevating the mundane to something worthy of artistic study. These "verge plants" speak to a deeper, perhaps forgotten connection between humans and the natural world, especially the often-overlooked wildness at the edges of our constructed environments. Editor: Forgotten connections—yes! It's funny, isn't it, how the “verge,” the edge, becomes this symbolic space? Not quite cultivated, not entirely wild... a kind of liminal zone where things blur. Curator: Exactly! This “in-betweenness” carries a particular cultural weight. Consider the role of the garden in mythology and folklore as a space representing control over nature, while the untamed wilderness often symbolizes chaos and the unknown. The verge, as depicted here, becomes a meeting point, suggesting the complex and ever-evolving relationship between those two archetypes. Editor: I see the drawing style as an invitation into stillness. Its quiet quality has this knack for dissolving modern urgencies. It makes me consider the meditative act of Rip creating the work... Curator: And Rip likely found something profound in this subject matter that fueled his creation. Perhaps by observing the resilient life flourishing in an oft-ignored corner, Rip was exploring a way of seeing that challenged conventional notions of beauty and value. Editor: In a world obsessed with instant gratification and perfectly curated experiences, this humble drawing offers a lesson: Slow down, look closely, and discover the extraordinary beauty hidden in the ordinary. Curator: Yes, that's brilliantly put. "Bermplanten" ultimately becomes a potent symbol reminding us of nature's quiet power of resilience.