Triomfboog c. 1901

Editor: This is Gerrit Willem Dijsselhof’s “Triomfboog,” made around 1901, a pencil drawing on paper. It looks like a page torn from a sketchbook, with several quick sketches of arches and architectural details. It feels very preliminary, like an idea in its earliest stages. What do you see in this piece, beyond just architectural drawings? Curator: I see more than just architectural elements. Look at the context: it's Art Nouveau, a period grappling with industrialization. Dijsselhof, immersed in the decorative arts, probably viewed architecture as a way to bring beauty back into everyday life, a challenge to the functionality-focused trajectory of the time. The triumphal arch, historically linked to imperial power and dominance, here appears deconstructed and softened with the curving lines characteristic of Art Nouveau. Does that suggest a re-evaluation of power, perhaps? Editor: A re-evaluation of power...that's interesting! It does seem less imposing and more organic than a traditional triumphal arch. What do you make of it being in a sketchbook? Curator: A sketchbook is a space for exploration, a safe zone for questioning. Seeing these typically rigid forms explored in a sketchbook format lets us witness the dismantling and reformation of existing ideologies on paper. Think about it: is Dijsselhof potentially critiquing existing patriarchal structures through this softened, decorative triumphal arch? Are we seeing a challenge to traditional displays of power? Editor: So, it’s not just about aesthetics; it’s a quiet commentary on society itself? I never would have considered that! Curator: Precisely. Art Nouveau itself, often dismissed as mere decoration, can be read as a radical proposition: that beauty and art should be democratized and woven into the fabric of daily life, for everyone, not just the elite. And Dijsselhof may be making an early contribution through such exploratory drawings. Editor: That’s given me so much to consider. Thank you for highlighting all of these deeper meanings within this drawing. It's helped me view it beyond the surface level.