Decoratief patroon met vierkanten c. 1916 - 1945

Curator: Here we have a piece from the Rijksmuseum collection: "Decoratief patroon met vierkanten," or "Decorative Pattern with Squares," a pencil drawing on paper by Reijer Stolk, dated circa 1916 to 1945. Editor: My immediate response is that this image feels somehow unfinished, even vulnerable, more of an idea in transit. Curator: Precisely. Look at the composition: the repeated squares, meticulously shaded with vertical lines, suggest order and structure. And yet, those sinuous lines threading through the squares disrupt the rigid grid. Editor: The lines introduce an organic element, almost like vines reclaiming the geometric space. Knowing this piece was created during a period encompassing both World Wars gives these competing elements a potent meaning, in my view. Curator: Expand on that a little. Editor: Consider the grid—it's the imposition of order, systems, the state itself perhaps. Then, consider how that very grid is subverted by unpredictable and almost insurgent free-flowing lines; for me, it evokes the spirit of resistance or the resilience of natural forms in a time of intense societal pressure. Curator: A compelling reading! From a purely formal perspective, I observe a clear tension between precision and spontaneity. The density of shading in the squares contrasts with the spare, almost hesitant quality of the curved lines. It’s a dialogue within the work itself. Editor: And Stolk chose simple materials--pencil and paper--lending accessibility to a period fraught with division. In essence, anyone, regardless of their place in society, could find the space for artistic expression as resistance. Curator: What I value here is its simplicity, the almost diagrammatic nature of the pattern, and its appeal to modernist sensibilities exploring the relationships between form and space. Editor: Absolutely, and recognizing the period when this work was conceived illuminates these seemingly neutral elements in ways that enrich our engagement with it, making space for personal understanding and empathy.