Ontwerp voor een oorkonde 1912

This is a design for a certificate by Reinier Willem Petrus de Vries, made around 1912, likely with ink and pencil on paper. De Vries was active during a time when Dutch society was navigating industrialization and shifts in cultural identity. The certificate's design, with its formal script and decorative flourishes, evokes a sense of tradition and authority. In a rapidly changing world, such documents served to reinforce established social structures, and offered a sense of continuity. Calligraphy itself, with its historical associations with scribes and officialdom, suggests a world where power resides in the written word. However, the design is also somewhat playful, with its whimsical borders and handwritten quality. There is also something inherently emotional about the care that has been taken to produce such a design, a hint towards the value and honor associated with being granted such a certificate. While reflecting societal norms, the artwork also represents the personal touch of the artist.