Vier reliëfs met bloemen en bladranken, gebeeldhouwd door Jean Herman before 1880

These four reliefs of flowers and foliage by Jean Herman, captured by Charles Claesen, present a study in decorative sculpture. The arrangement, with its stark monochrome palette, allows for an intense focus on form and texture. Notice how the horizontal orientation emphasizes the linear quality of the designs. The meticulous carving creates a play of light and shadow, giving depth to the otherwise flat surface. Herman uses a visual vocabulary of natural forms to explore the boundary between representation and abstraction. The repetition of motifs suggests a structuralist approach, where patterns and relationships are as important as the individual elements. Consider the semiotic implications of flowers and leaves. They are conventional signs of growth, beauty, and nature. Here, however, they are abstracted, almost codified, challenging our immediate interpretation. The reliefs prompt us to think about how such familiar symbols are constructed and how they function within a cultural context. They invite us to deconstruct the language of ornament.