Bandontwerp voor: W. Bölsche, Het wederzijdsche lokken, 1908 1908

This is a 1908 design in pencil on paper by Reinier Willem Petrus de Vries, for the cover of a book called 'Het wederzijdsche lokken', or 'The Mutual Lure'. Made in the Netherlands, this image reflects the decorative style known as Art Nouveau, which was then at its peak. The style embraced organic forms, such as plants and insects, and the drawing here depicts an insect with highly stylized wings. What’s interesting is that De Vries designed book covers, posters, and other commercial art. The institutions of art and commerce were becoming entwined. Artists found ways to make money from a growing consumer culture. But they also had to decide whether to embrace this culture, or critique it. Art historians look at exhibition reviews, sales records, and artists’ correspondence to understand these choices and how they reflect the social values of the time. By studying these historical factors, we come to appreciate how art expresses, and is shaped by, its own moment.