Ontwerp voor raam in het Nederlands Paviljoen op de tentoonstelling Arts Décoratifs te Parijs, 1925 1925

This design for a window was made around 1925 by Richard Nicolaüs Roland Holst, likely with gouache and charcoal on paper. The medium has allowed Holst to mimic the effects of leaded glass. He would have been thinking about the qualities of light passing through colored panes, and how the dark lines would compartmentalize the image. The scene depicts a shepherd with his dog and flock. You can see how the artist has divided the composition into geometric sections, not unlike the methods used for stained glass. The design was intended for the Dutch Pavilion at the Exposition des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, which was essentially a trade fair intended to promote French luxury goods, but also included contributions from other nations. Holst’s choice of a pastoral theme connects to the imagery of labor and the idealization of rural life. It offers a quiet, contemplative contrast to the machine age, even as it was intended for an explicitly commercial context. By considering the materials, intended use, and historical context of this window design, we can more fully appreciate its meaning.