Banister post, Huis De Lange, Alkmaar 

This banister post was designed by Theo van Doesburg for the Huis De Lange in Alkmaar. The stylized face is composed of stacked geometric forms, and the figure echoes ancient totemic sculptures. Consider the archaic 'kouros' figures of ancient Greece. Their rigid, frontal poses and simplified features served as votive offerings and grave markers, embodiments of idealized youth and strength. Doesburg's post, with its blocky abstraction and stark geometry, similarly embodies a sense of primitive power. The face is reduced to its most essential elements, a silent, watchful presence. In the relentless pursuit of form, the post transcends its functional role, becoming a modern-day idol. It's a reminder that our drive to create symbolic representations of the human form is a constant, a thread connecting us to the earliest stirrings of artistic expression. Though seemingly primitive in style, it reflects the enduring power of the human image.