Vaas van aardewerk met abstract decor in bruin en zwart c. 1925

This earthenware vase with its abstract decor in brown and black was made by Jaap Gidding. There's a lovely back-and-forth happening between the form of the vase and the shapes painted on it. Look closely, and you'll see that Gidding has divided the surface into sections. In each, he's playing with geometric shapes. It’s like he’s trying to figure out how abstract forms can also suggest real objects – a vase, maybe a building. I love how the colors – that creamy white, ochre, and grey – create a muted palette, almost like a faded photograph. That playful, geometric approach reminds me of Fernand Léger, another artist who loved to blur the lines between representation and abstraction. It makes you wonder: is it a vase, or is it a painting? Either way, it's all about seeing the world in new, unexpected ways.