Decoratieve patronen c. 1916 - 1945

This page of decorative patterns was made by Reijer Stolk, but we don't know when. I love seeing an artist's working process like this. You can imagine Stolk, with pencil in hand, thinking through different ideas for patterns. It looks like he was experimenting with different motifs and how they might repeat or combine. There's a kind of beautiful intimacy to seeing this level of planning, and how the eye moves across the paper, trying out different forms. I'm drawn to the little doodles he has made on the right-hand side of the paper. They remind me of other artists' playful explorations. You can see him thinking about the surface, working to create a certain feeling or intention. I bet he was inspired by other artists’ mark making and experimenting with the effects he could create. This piece reminds us that we’re all in conversation.