Ontwerp voor het blad van een salontafel 1876 - 1924

This pencil drawing of a table top was created by Gerrit Willem Dijsselhof. Observe how Dijsselhof uses the square as a primary motif. The diamond form with the simplified flower in the center, repeated along the edges, evokes a sense of growth. Yet, it is tightly constrained within geometric perimeters, a cage. A tension emerges between the organic impulse and the imposition of control. We see echoes of this symbol in the geometric patterns of Islamic art, where flowers are stylized into abstract forms. In classical Greek design, floral motifs are similarly integrated into structured compositions. This symbol echoes through time, shifting from overt displays of natural abundance to more constrained forms of aesthetic expression, reflecting our own conflicted impulses to explore and dominate nature. The image becomes a site of struggle between freedom and form, instinct, and intellect.