Architecturale details c. 1901

This drawing, Architecturale details, was made by Gerrit Willem Dijsselhof, we don't know exactly when, but it's a really fascinating look into how an artist thinks through a problem. Dijsselhof uses a very limited palette, just ink on paper, which gives the drawing a stark, almost architectural feel, even though it's not really architecture. Look at the way the lines vary, sometimes thick and confident, sometimes thin and hesitant. It’s like Dijsselhof is feeling his way through the design, exploring different possibilities. The paper itself is lined, like a notebook page, which adds to the sense of this being a work in progress, a sketch rather than a finished piece. The little flourishes of detail, like the curves and circles, add a touch of playfulness to the otherwise rigorous geometry. It reminds me a little of the early sketches of Hilma af Klint, though much more grounded in the everyday. It's a reminder that even the most functional-seeming art can be full of imagination and wonder.