Broche c. 1908 - 1911

Lodewijk Willem van Kooten made this little golden brooch with some form of enamel and a central purple gem. I can imagine the artist working on it, laying down the gold, line by line, then carefully painting in the blue enamel to create the pattern. There’s something so precious about jewelry. I imagine van Kooten carefully considers the piece. Its rigid geometry and the way the gem is caged, create a kind of tension and constraint. I also imagine it catching the light, and becoming something quite different when worn. This object is a small thing, yet it’s full of possibility. It reminds me that, as artists, we are always building on the past, responding to what came before, and adding our own little twist. Even an object so small can hold so much meaning.