Kader, mogelijk voor een albumblad 1884 - 1952

This design for an album page comes from the hand of Reinier Willem Petrus de Vries, an artist working in the Netherlands at the turn of the 20th century. The stylized floral pattern is a clear product of the Art Nouveau movement, which was particularly strong in Northern Europe at the time. Art Nouveau arose from a desire to break from academic traditions of artmaking and design, which were seen as outdated and stifling. This album page, with its light blue background, intertwining vines and stylized berries, is a good example of the elegant organic forms that were so popular during the period. The turn of the century was also a time of rapid industrialization and urbanization, and many artists and designers looked to nature as a source of inspiration and escape from the increasing mechanization of modern life. If you want to understand more, look into the history of decorative arts museums and design schools in the Netherlands at this time.