Vignet met drie maraboes 1892

This is Gerrit Willem Dijsselhof's 'Vignet met drie maraboes', created with an unspecified medium, sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. Immediately, the composition draws us in with its balanced symmetry and simplified forms. Three marabou storks are stylized in solid black against a muted green backdrop. The central bird faces forward, flanked by two others in profile, creating a rhythmic visual pattern. Dijsselhof's approach to form emphasizes the essence of each bird rather than realistic detail. The stark contrast between black and green flattens the image, pushing it towards abstraction. This reduction of natural forms to basic shapes resonates with the broader artistic concerns of the period. There is an engagement with the burgeoning aesthetics of modernism and an emerging fascination with non-Western art traditions. The geometric abstraction and symmetrical composition reflects a departure from traditional representation. It presents the viewer with a new visual language. Consider how the design's flatness and its stylized subjects point to the rise of graphic arts. This piece is part of a shift towards exploring the intrinsic qualities of line, shape, and color.