Ontwerp voor raam in het Noordertransept in de Dom te Utrecht c. 1934

Editor: So this is *Ontwerp voor raam in het Noordertransept in de Dom te Utrecht* by Richard Nicolaüs Roland Holst, from around 1934. It’s a mixed-media drawing with pencil, tempera, and more on paper. It has a stained-glass feel, but very geometric and almost abstract, dominated by earth tones and blues. What strikes me is the use of geometric abstraction. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see the yearning for order and meaning that characterized the interwar period. Holst offers a visually arresting symbolic reconstruction of the world after the shattering events of the first world war. The abstracted shapes and earthy colours remind us of ancient foundations being rebuilt, brick by symbolic brick. That single golden star, breaking through the angular dark blue above... where does that take your mind? Editor: Hope, maybe? Or guidance? I'm struck by how grounded the lower half feels in comparison, very solid. It’s like… earthly structures reaching for the heavens. Curator: Precisely! Holst, deeply invested in the spiritual potential of art, frequently used the symbol of a star. Do you notice how he integrates it within the broader design rather than isolating it? Editor: I do. The star feels integrated, as though hope or guidance is just another component of the construction, of life. That it's not separate or something to be placed 'above', but inherent. Curator: Indeed. And consider the context: the intended location in a cathedral. This isn’t just decoration, but an appeal to deeply ingrained cultural narratives, using a fresh visual vocabulary. This work asks us how our past and present may look to future generations. Editor: That’s a powerful perspective. I was so focused on the visual components that I had missed the deeper symbolic references! Thanks! Curator: A pleasure to share it!