Ontwerp met het wapen van Hilversum en ornamenten 1884 - 1952

This drawing of the Hilversum coat of arms and ornaments was made by Reinier Willem Petrus de Vries, we don't know exactly when, with pencil on paper. The underdrawing is visible, with the square grid underneath. It’s like seeing the artist's mind at work, the decisions and corrections visible. He’s working out the kinks of the design. I wonder how much was planned and how much accidental. Take the curlicues on the left side – they remind me of hair, flowing, organic. The ones at the top are more controlled, geometric. Look how they sit on the strong vertical axis. The whole thing breathes with an energy of becoming, like a plant unfurling in time-lapse. It reminds me of the drawings of Hilma af Klint. Different intentions maybe, but both share a feeling of something emerging, not quite formed, and a reminder that art is an ongoing process of discovery. It is never really finished.