Vlinder 1884 - 1952

Reinier Willem Petrus de Vries created this drawing of a butterfly wing with a pencil on paper. At the turn of the century, the Arts and Crafts movement was at its peak in the Netherlands. We can see this artistic style in the clean lines of the wing and in the decorative motifs De Vries sketched beside it. It was made during a time when artists began to see themselves as socially responsible. The movement aimed to unite art and craft to create affordable, beautiful, and well-made objects for everyday use. It is worth asking if De Vries created this drawing as a design, possibly for wallpaper or textile. If that were the case, the act of designing everyday objects could be seen as a progressive gesture that defies the class-based system of art that existed at the time. Studying the archives of design schools, museums, and artist’s associations may give us more information about the social and institutional context of this artwork.