Kop met constructivistisch ornament c. 1928

This is a cup with constructivist ornament made by Chris van der Hoef, but we don’t know exactly when. What strikes me first is the boldness of the composition: basic geometric forms, primary colors, and strong dark outlines. Van der Hoef uses abstraction to flatten the image, making the cup a surface for play. Look closely and you can see the physical relationship between these shapes, for instance how the orange circle bleeds into a red, anchoring the other forms. The colors are clearly delineated, but this circle has a life of its own. It has a subtle texture, a feeling of the hand. Even the painted lines have irregularities, and betray their making. This approach relates to the work of Fernand Léger, who also had an interest in the ways that machine production could be synthesised with hand production, and what that might mean for art. Ultimately, the real pleasure of this cup is that you can still imagine the artist’s hand as they were making it, years ago.