De Parelduiker 1918

Richard Nicolaüs Roland Holst made this lithograph, called De Parelduiker, or The Pearl Diver, using crayon and tusche. It’s a monochromatic fever dream. I can imagine Holst bent over a lithographic stone, drawing with a greasy crayon, building up these incredible textures. The figure reminds me of the Pre-Raphaelites, but there’s something darker going on. She’s a spirit, or maybe Ophelia floating down the river to her death. The lines seem to capture her in motion. She is surrounded by swirls of water, or are they thoughts? And what are those strange geometric shapes in the background? Are they pearls, or the wreckage of a sunken ship? Thinking about Holst, I am reminded of other symbolists and the way artists influence each other. It’s like we're all swimming in the same creative ocean, diving deep for inspiration, and resurfacing with our own unique treasures.