Band voor een album voor Prof. Willem Stoeder 1901

This album cover for Professor Willem Stoeder was made anonymously, with an unknown medium. Album covers, like other forms of popular design, are cultural artifacts which give insight into the social values of a period. Given the geometric forms and stylized floral motifs, this album cover likely emerged within the Arts and Crafts movement, or a similar aesthetic milieu which valued handcrafted design. It reflects a nostalgia for pre-industrial forms of production. It is also possible to note an emotional aspect of this artwork which is intended as a gift. Created not for a wide, public audience, it is meant for one person only. By examining what Professor Stoeder represented, we might understand how this album cover acted as both a personal token and a reflection of broader artistic and social movements.