Sluitvignet 1884 - 1952

Reinier Willem Petrus de Vries made this drawing, Sluitvignet, with pen in black ink. It's interesting to see the process laid bare in a work like this, the under drawing and gridded structure on full display. You get the feeling that the artist wasn't trying to hide anything. The image is so simple, just black lines on a light ground, but it's full of energy! The heavy black areas at the top and bottom give it weight, while the thin lines dance across the surface like calligraphy. Look at the way the lines thicken and thin, creating a sense of rhythm and movement. It reminds me a little of Art Nouveau, that whiplash line quality, but there's something more architectural and planned about this piece. This reminds me a bit of Hilma af Klint, who was working around the same time. Like Klint's work, this piece seems to be searching for a new visual language, a way to express something beyond the visible world. And that's what art is all about, isn't it? Reaching for something just beyond our grasp.