Getal 3

Reinier Willem Petrus de Vries made 'Getal 3', or 'Number 3', sometime around the start of the 20th century. It's an ornate, graphic number three in ink on paper, enclosed in a square. There's something so satisfying about the contrast of the black ink against the white paper. It's so decisive! But then you look closer, and you see the details, the little curves and flourishes, the way the number three seems to bloom like a strange flower. The eye follows the shapes, getting lost in the swirling design. Look at that little curl at the bottom of the three - it almost looks like a tiny question mark. It reminds me a little of some of Hilma af Klint's early symbolist work, or even some of the more decorative illuminated manuscripts. It's not just a number, it's an invitation.