Trektafel met extra bladen onder het tafelblad 1902

Editor: Here we have Hendrik Petrus Berlage's "Trektafel met extra bladen onder het tafelblad," a wooden table from 1902, currently residing at the Rijksmuseum. It has a stern presence, almost like a fortress made of timber. The visible joinery gives it an austere kind of charm, don't you think? What do you see in this piece? Curator: Charm, definitely. But beyond that, I sense a deliberate turning away from ornamentation for ornamentation's sake, something so characteristic of the Arts & Crafts movement. See how the form declares its function so directly? It whispers, rather loudly, "I am a table. Use me." There's a deep respect for materials, an almost reverent treatment of the wood itself. What kind of stories do you think this table might tell, if only it could speak? Editor: Maybe stories of boisterous family meals, whispered secrets, or silent solitary contemplation. I’m interested in the visible joints—how much were those elements about expressing “honesty” in design? Curator: Absolutely. Exposing the construction was a core principle. Think of it as visual honesty—no hiding behind frills, no deceptive facades. The construction becomes part of the aesthetic, celebrating craftsmanship and the inherent beauty of joinery. It's form following function in its most earnest, heartfelt expression. It wants us to consider how things are made, not just what they look like. Editor: It sounds like it has deep integrity, that table! I guess I hadn't thought about furniture as making a declaration. Curator: It's easy to overlook the power of everyday objects, isn't it? This table invites us to consider not just what we put *on* the table, but what the table itself puts forth. Editor: Absolutely! It makes me appreciate functional art so much more.