Omslag van: Maandblad der Vereeniging voor verbetering van vrouwenkleeding, No. 6, mei 1903 1903

Reinier Willem Petrus de Vries made this print in 1903, probably as a cover for a magazine. I can imagine him at his desk thinking about how to make a striking image that would appeal to readers interested in women’s fashion. There’s a goddess-like woman in the center with big, golden wings. She’s flanked by two smaller figures in blue dresses. The colors are muted, almost like a faded photograph, and the lines are crisp and clean. The layout is very decorative and symmetrical. The background is powder blue; a motif is repeated like a wallpaper. I wonder if de Vries saw himself as some kind of visionary, helping women to express themselves through their clothing. It's a charming piece of graphic design from a time when artists really believed in the power of beauty. You can see the influence of art nouveau in the flowing lines and the idealized figures, something you might have also found in a Klimt painting. Artists draw from each other, across time, inspiring each other.