Ontwerp voor raam in het Stadhuis in Amsterdam Possibly 1930 - 1934

This design for a stained glass window in Amsterdam’s City Hall was made by Richard Nicolaüs Roland Holst, probably with gouache and crayon, and right away I’m struck by its graphic quality. The colours are earthy, kind of muted, and the lines are really pronounced, dividing the composition into clear, almost geometric shapes. Looking at the central figure, the way his robe is rendered, there's a real attention to breaking the form down into planes. It’s like a puzzle, each piece carefully fitted together. The texture also seems really important. You can see the strokes of the crayon, they add a depth and tactility to the surface. Holst isn't trying to hide the process, he’s embracing it. Those visible strokes make the design feel immediate, like a sketch, but also deliberate and considered. I am reminded a bit of the Belgian symbolist painter Fernand Khnopff, who also played with flatness and pattern. For Holst, like Khnopff, it is clear that art is about more than just appearances.