Omslagontwerp voor: Cornelis Veth, Sport en spel in de kunst (Zomer), 1917 1917

This is Reinier Willem Petrus de Vries’s cover design for Cornelis Veth’s book, made in 1917 using watercolor. It’s so simple, but the interplay between the blues, greens, and yellows gives it a real vibrancy! The watercolor is applied with such openness; nothing is overworked, and the image feels fresh, like a first attempt. The textures created by the watercolor give real depth to the piece, but it is the slight irregularities in the lines and shapes that give the image its dynamism. Look, for example, at the ‘S’ of ‘Sport’, how the gentle curve is imperfect, the way the colour bleeds out towards the edges, creating a sense of energy, as if the letter is itself in motion. It reminds me of a Matisse cut-out. De Vries embraces ambiguity, much like a lot of outsider art, where the process and the joy of creation take precedence over flawless rendering.