Ontwerp voor een titelhoofd van: Arcadia, letterkundig maandblad voor dames 1900

This is Reinier Willem Petrus de Vries' design for a title heading of Arcadia, a literary monthly magazine for ladies. It's a drawing rendered in pencil on paper. The sketch shows a peacock plumage with an ornate rooster underneath, the lines are delicate yet decisive. Pencil is a humble material, but the artist's control suggests mastery. The sketch is probably a quick rendering that captures the essence of his design, rather than a finished product. Consider what this drawing represents. Magazines like Arcadia were a product of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They represent a shift in consumer culture. This work of art, while 'minor', points to a world of cultural production and aspiration. It encapsulates the labor of writers, editors, and printers, and the aspirations of its readers. It is an intimate look into the aesthetics of consumer culture.