Lantaarn 1884 - 1952

Reinier Willem Petrus de Vries made 'Lantaarn' as a linocut print, and I am immediately drawn into the push and pull of the image-making process! I love the texture, color, surface, and the physicality of the medium here. I imagine him carving away at the linoleum, each gouge a deliberate act. And the colors, just yellow and black, are laid down with such precision. Look at how he uses the lines to give the lantern volume and form, it reminds me of woodcuts from Lyonel Feininger. My eye keeps going back to the base of the lamp, where the lines are so close together, it almost vibrates with energy. It’s as if he’s saying, “Here, in this small area, lies the foundation of everything.” Which, in a way, it does. It's a reminder that art is an ongoing conversation, an exchange of ideas across time. And that ambiguity is not a weakness, but a strength, allowing for multiple interpretations and endless possibilities.