Vignet met bladmotief 1884 - 1952

Reinier Willem Petrus de Vries made this vignette with leaf motif. I am curious about the moment it came into being. Look at that solid band and the marks above and below: it makes me wonder about the artist’s hand, the kind of pen they might have been using, and the pressure needed to create such darkness. Is the artist trying to capture the essence of a leaf, or is it more about the feeling and the rhythm of the pattern? I imagine them experimenting, maybe starting with realistic renderings but then simplifying, finding the core essence of the leaf form. It's not so much about the botanical accuracy, but about translating nature into a series of marks. That simple pattern makes me think of wallpaper. It seems like a form of visual language that is saying something about the artist's relationship to the world. What do you think?