Vel van verguld en gepolychromeerd leer, versierd met wilde rozen, ranken en vlinders c. 1910

This gilded and polychromed leather panel, decorated with wild roses, tendrils, and butterflies, was made by Theo Nieuwenhuis. It’s hard to pin down the date, but you can see this piece as an unfolding process, an alchemy of material and imagination. The surface of the leather has a warm, burnished quality, like aged gold leaf, with the texture of the leather peeking through. Look at how the dark green tendrils curl and reach, creating a sense of depth against the flat gold, it is possible to tell what kinds of tools may have been used in its making, or is the process concealed or obscured. Focus on the center of the piece, a pale yellow area, where the gold seems to have worn away with time. This piece reminds me of the work of Gustav Klimt, with its emphasis on pattern and ornamentation. Like Klimt, Nieuwenhuis embraces ambiguity, inviting us to get lost in the details and discover our own interpretations.