Initiaal Z 1904

Reinier Willem Petrus de Vries made this Initiaal Z, or Initial Z, using some kind of printmaking process. It’s about the size of a postage stamp, and, like printmaking, it’s full of surprises. Look how the bold lines create a graphic punch. The letter Z strides diagonally across the square, with stylized feathers and swirls filling the space. There’s a real tension between the mechanical precision of the print and the organic, flowing forms within the letter. It’s like the artist is trying to contain something wild and free within a rigid structure. There’s a lot of geometry going on, but it’s offset by those little dots and curves, which almost look like they were drawn by hand. In a way, that mirrors the whole process of artmaking: setting rules and then finding ways to break them, pushing against the limits of your materials, your methods, and even your own ideas.