Opheffing Nederlandsche Overzeese Trust Maatschappij 1919

This plate, commemorating the dissolution of the Dutch Overseas Trust Company, was painted at De Porceleijne Fles, though we don't know exactly when. The mark-making here is all about the pleasure of production; these repeated motifs and symbolic imagery suggesting stability. The deep blue designs really capture the eye; they're layered but also flow so well together. Look at the brushwork in the border, how the artist’s hand moves in and out creating these repetitive almost floral shapes. It's not just about precision; it's about the joy of the medium and the process of creation, and in this way, this plate embodies something about this moment in time between 1915 and 1919. I'm reminded a bit of Eva Hesse here. Just like this plate, her work embraces a fluidity and uncertainty that really speaks to the idea of art as a living, breathing conversation.