Groep van twee hagedissen op rots c. 1910

Here we have a glazed earthenware sculpture of two lizards on a rock, probably made by the Tegel- en Fayencefabriek Amphora. The lizards are charming, but it’s the surface that grabs me. There’s something so pleasing about the slightly glossy sheen, and how that interacts with the textures. The dots on the lizard’s skin are so uniform that I wonder how they were applied. Were they stenciled? Each one is so precise, so consistent. I love how the tail wraps around the base, creating a visual pathway for the eye. It makes me think about how the process of making art is a bit like a dance. You start with an idea, but the materials and the process take you in unexpected directions. This piece reminds me a little of the work of the ceramicist Lucie Rie, who also had a knack for making functional objects feel like artworks, or maybe the surrealist sculptures of Joan Miró, with their playful shapes and unexpected juxtapositions. Art’s just an ongoing conversation, right?