Vignet met distel 1884 - 1952

Reinier Willem Petrus de Vries made this drawing of a thistle with ink on paper. It's so delicate, like a little botanical dance. I can imagine De Vries hunched over his desk, his brow furrowed in concentration. The ink must have flowed smoothly from his pen, each stroke precise and deliberate. There is a kind of controlled energy. Look at those flowing lines, how they swell and taper. It’s like he’s capturing the very essence of the plant. The thistle itself, with its prickly leaves and delicate flowers, becomes a symbol of resilience and beauty. You know what I mean? Like how something so fragile can also be so strong. De Vries would have known all about that. He might have been thinking of other artists as he was making it. I'm sure he was. We all are, aren't we? That’s what keeps us going!