Ontwerp voor een bloemenvaas 1874 - 1932

This is Mathieu Lauweriks's 'Design for a Flower Vase', an undated pencil drawing on paper. The structure of the vase is determined by a series of carefully constructed lines, the grid of which is still visible. This underlying structure, with its verticals, horizontals, and diagonals, offers a sense of balance and clarity. Lauweriks’s formalism, with its geometric focus, moves beyond mere representation. This geometrical construction points to an almost Platonic ideal, where the vase becomes more than just a functional object; it becomes a study in pure form and proportion. The drawing transcends its immediate function and opens into philosophical territory. Note the contrast between the rigid grid and the slightly curved lines of the vase, a subtle tension that destabilizes any sense of fixed meaning. This interplay between structure and form, a key tenet of formalism, allows us to appreciate the drawing not just as a design, but as a meditation on the very nature of form.