Bandontwerp voor: Ina Boudier-Bakker, Machten, 1902 1903

This is Reinier Willem Petrus de Vries’ ‘Bandontwerp voor: Ina Boudier-Bakker, Machten,’ made in 1902. The grid that underpins the design is visible, revealing the working process and a sense of precision. The drawing is delicate. It reminds me of the kind of care and attention that goes into the construction of a painting. Look at how the grid spreads across the surface, a matrix for the unfolding design. The shapes themselves are simple, but the relationships between them, how they align with the grid, gives a complexity to the image. The design elements, especially the four-leafed clover, feel balanced and carefully considered. They could have been made by Hilma af Klint. Ultimately, what’s so compelling about this work is the way it invites us to consider the underlying structures that shape our perceptions. The use of the grid acts as a metaphor for the hidden frameworks that organize our world.