Oorkonde van de Vereeniging ter bevordering van de belangen des Boekhandels met planten en een drukkerij 1892

Theo Nieuwenhuis created this certificate for the Association to promote the interests of the Book Trade in 1892, using etching. Immediately striking is the symmetrical arrangement. The structured layout of text and botanical elements is key, organized within a rectangular frame. Notice how the title, rendered in bold lettering, anchors the composition, while decorative motifs—delicate floral patterns—soften the rigid geometry. The meticulous detail and formal structure suggest the period's fascination with systematization. The linear quality emphasizes precision, and the deliberate arrangement of text mirrors a structuralist concern with language and order. The work challenges traditional hierarchies by integrating decorative and textual elements. Consider the interplay between text and image, and how this certificate is not merely a document, but a carefully constructed artifact that embodies the values and aesthetics of its time.