Menukaart, monogram en zes vignetten met sterrenbeelden 1884 - 1952

This menu card with astrological signs was created by Reinier Willem Petrus de Vries, though we don't know exactly when. What strikes me first is the limited palette; it’s like he set some rules for himself, and then worked within them. See how the black ink of the zodiac symbols really pops? They’re stark, almost like they’ve been stencilled, but with a hand-made feel to them. Look at the goat, Capricorn, there, with its elegantly curved horns. It’s like the negative space is just as important as the drawn lines. I wonder if de Vries was interested in printmaking, or if he was just fond of these clear, graphic shapes? This piece reminds me of the work of Hilma af Klint, especially her early botanical drawing with how she created her own symbolic language. But unlike Klint's work, there's a very literal function for this piece as a menu card. Art is such an ongoing conversation. It's never really about settling on one interpretation, but embracing the many possibilities of an image.