Ontwerp voor een ornamenteel kader 1884 - 1952

Reinier Willem Petrus de Vries made this ornamental frame design with pencil on paper, sometime in the early 20th century. It's all about the flow of the line, isn't it? The way it loops and swirls, creating a rhythm that’s both ordered and organic. The pencil work is delicate, almost tentative, but there's a real confidence in the overall composition. Look at how each little circle anchors the curves, giving them weight and presence. It’s all about the materiality of the marks, the way the pencil scratches and glides across the page, leaving behind these subtle, ghostly traces. I love how the overall design feels both ancient and modern, like a Celtic knot reimagined for the machine age. I'm reminded of the graphic work of Hilma af Klint, who also used geometric forms and flowing lines to explore hidden dimensions and unseen forces. Like her work, this piece invites us to look beyond the surface and consider the deeper structures that shape our world.