Vignet met bloemen 1884 - 1952

Reinier Willem Petrus de Vries made this little floral vignette, most likely with ink, and maybe a small brush. It is a quick idea, dashed off, an impression. Look at the three little plants each made up of spiky leaves and strange exploding stamen. It’s as if Vries- the maker- grabbed an image from his head, and tried to get it down quick, before it was gone. I know that feeling. He was probably thinking about wallpaper design or illustration, or maybe just doodling. I imagine him lost in his own world, like a kid in a classroom, dreaming up crazy organic ornamentation. He isn’t fussing here, not trying to make it “good” or “correct,” just something that feels alive. It reminds me that all art is basically doodles, some are just more worked out.