Ontwerpen voor monogrammen 1876 - 1924

Here we have Gerrit Willem Dijsselhof’s “Ontwerpen voor monogrammen” from the late 19th century, a series of monogram designs on lined paper. Dijsselhof was part of the Dutch Symbolist movement, which was deeply invested in ideas of personal expression and identity. Monograms, traditionally associated with marking personal property, are here transformed into explorations of individual identity, reflective of the late 19th century's focus on the self. This sheet is less about utility and more about the act of envisioning and creating a unique mark. Each design might represent a different facet of identity, or even different individuals. The artist plays with the fusion of form and meaning as an emotional and intellectual exercise. These designs offer us an intimate look at the artist's process of exploring how an individual can be represented through symbols. The act of designing a monogram becomes a statement about the self.