Vaas van aardewerk, beschilderd met vlinderachtige motieven, palmetten etc. c. 1910 - 1915

This earthenware vase, painted with butterfly-like motifs and palmettes, was made in Arnhem. Isn’t it interesting how an object can be both functional and a canvas for art? I’m drawn to how the painterly motifs wrap around the vase's curves. It's like the artist was dancing with the form, responding to its contours with each brushstroke. I love the creamy surface and the contrast of the detailed butterfly, with the more minimalist lines and dots that move around the neck of the vase. It gives me a sense of how the maker wanted to be both free and controlled, letting the hand and eye work together. It reminds me of Gustav Klimt, with its stylized, decorative approach, yet there’s also a raw, almost folk-art quality to it that I find appealing. It shows how art is an ongoing conversation, a constant exchange of ideas and forms that evolves over time. And ultimately it leaves us with questions rather than answers.