Ontwerp voor een zilveren serveerblad 1874 - 1932

This is Mathieu Lauweriks' 'Design for a silver serving tray', made as a technical drawing on graph paper. It's all about precision, right? But look closely. The spiral form, meticulously rendered, isn't perfect. It's got a hand-drawn quality that softens the geometry. The weight of the pencil line varies, suggesting a tentative process of finding the form. There's a little wobble that speaks to the artist's hand, a human touch in this functional object. It's easy to imagine the artist slowly building the shape, adjusting the curves, and responding to the inherent possibilities of the paper and pencil. It reminds me of Hilma af Klint's diagrams – a similar blend of organic form and geometric structure, infused with a sense of hidden knowledge. The slight imperfections are what make it interesting. They remind us that art, even in design, is a conversation, full of beautiful accidents and unanswered questions.