Handvat van zwartgelakt hout beschilderd met een vogel en bloem, voor een paraplu of parasol; met koord c. 1910 - 1920

Here's a handle for an umbrella or parasol by Gustav Schnitzler, made of black lacquered wood, and painted with a bird and a flower. I love how the act of painting transforms a mundane object into something delightful. Imagine the artist holding this small wooden piece, turning it slowly, as a tiny world comes into being under their hand! The black lacquer provides a deep, glossy ground. And over this surface Schnitzler paints the gold details, creating a scene with a bird and a flower. I wonder, did the artist see these images in their mind's eye before committing them to the surface? Or did they appear gradually, intuitively, as he worked with the materials at hand? There is a real conversation happening in this handle, between material and motif. It's an intimate piece. Something to be held and admired up close. I feel that the artist shares with us an understanding of how painting can be an invitation to slow down, observe closely, and find joy in the smallest of things.