Omslag voor het jaarverslag 1912 van de 'Afdeeling voortgezet & hooger bouwkunst-onderricht' van het Genootschap Architectura et Amicitia 1912

Walter van Diedenhoven designed this cover for the 1912 annual report of the Architectura et Amicitia society using a restrained palette of warm browns and creams. It’s a print, so the lines are sharp and graphic, but there’s a softness too, like a well-loved old book. I love how van Diedenhoven balances the geometric and the organic, the graphic and the gestural. Notice the two nude figures in these decorative frames. On the left, a crouching figure is surrounded by sprouting leaves, a symbol of new beginnings. On the right, a figure stands, arms outstretched like he’s just woken up, framed by blossoming petals. The texture is subtle, with mottled areas adding depth and a handmade feel, not too slick or mass-produced. The careful arrangement of typography and imagery speaks to a unified vision of art and design. It reminds me a little of Hilma af Klint, another artist exploring spiritual themes through symbolic forms around the same time. It’s like they’re both part of this big, ongoing conversation about what it means to be human.