Ontwerp voor raam in het Amsterdams Lyceum 1927

Richard Nicolaüs Roland Holst made this design for a window in the Amsterdams Lyceum, using colored chalk. The way he’s sectioned everything off, it's all about the process, like he's thinking through the image one pane at a time. The texture in this piece, it’s all in those chalky strokes. You can almost feel the give of the pastel on the paper. Look at the way he’s layered the colors in the figure's tunic – purples, yellows, browns, all scumbled together. It reminds me of late medieval stained glass, filtered light and heavy leading. And the dark outlines give it all such a graphic punch. It’s solid, but the chalk keeps it soft and approachable. It makes me think of Hilma af Klint, another artist working with these mystical, symbolic forms, trying to make sense of the world through color and shape. Both artists remind us that art is often about asking questions, not providing answers.