Ex libris van Eugène Strens 1909 - 1980

This bookplate for Eugène Strens is an anonymous work made with graphic techniques. What a beautifully economic design, it's all about making an impact in miniature. I can almost see the artist, bent over their drawing board, carefully inking in each letter. Did they have a glass of genever on the side? I bet they did. The text becomes a sort of abstracted pattern, the black ink creating a solid and grounded base. Then, these shards of ‘ex libris’ shooting out from the centre, like light, like the very book exploding with knowledge. I love the way the artist has balanced the weight of the text with these dynamic geometric shapes. It's very of its time, but also timeless in its simple effectiveness. Artists have always borrowed, stolen, and riffed off each other. You can see how the work of someone like Gerrit Rietveld might have inspired this artist. There is a conversation happening across generations.