Tien kaders met bloemornamenten 1884 - 1952

Reinier Willem Petrus de Vries made this design for ten frames with floral ornaments. The image presents a layout that reflects the kind of repetitive patterns found in various decorative arts. De Vries, born in the Netherlands in 1874, would have grown up in a society where the decorative arts were closely linked to national identity and the promotion of Dutch culture. Institutions played a key role, and the artist's involvement is a sign of how art served public and commercial functions. This print is self-consciously conservative in its adherence to symmetry, floral imagery, and overall ornamental approach. Understanding these visual codes requires us to see the work as a response to the artistic and cultural norms of its time. By consulting period publications, design catalogs, and institutional records, we might find the social and institutional networks in which De Vries operated, and understand the cultural role of this piece.