Titelkader 1884 - 1952

Reinier Willem Petrus de Vries made this piece, "Titelkader," with ink on paper. The linear framework creates this graphic effect, somewhere between a window, a strange crest, and an open book. It's all about the rhythm of the line and how it dances across the page. De Vries really leans into the physicality of the medium. The ink isn't trying to trick you into seeing something else; it's just being ink, laying there on the paper. The thin strokes create delicate shapes. Each is carefully placed, yet they vibrate with energy. It gives the whole piece a kind of organic, living quality. The light parchment tone of the paper contrasts with the dark golden lines of the design, making them pop. This reminds me of the work of Gustav Klimt – there is something in the careful composition and the symbolic approach which resonates with his work. In the end, it invites us to look closely and discover our own meanings within it.