Kerstkaart met heuvellandschap en meer - Reijer Stolk

A striking monochromatic linocut by Dutch artist Reijer Stolk, featuring a stylised hilly landscape and lake, designed as a seasonal greeting card.

This linocut by the Dutch artist Reijer Stolk functions as a seasonal greeting card. The composition utilises a stark, high-contrast aesthetic, typical of early twentieth-century printmaking techniques where the artist carves away the negative space to leave white lines against a solid black ground. The scene depicts a stylised hilly landscape surrounding a central body of water, populated by small architectural forms, boats, and celestial bodies including a sun, moon, and stars.

Stolk, who was active during the first half of the twentieth century, often engaged with graphic arts to communicate personal or seasonal messages. The work displays a deliberate rejection of naturalistic perspective, favouring a flattened, symbolic representation of the environment. The inclusion of the German text, 'Schöne Weihnachten und gutes neues Jahr', suggests the print was intended for an international audience or reflects the cultural exchanges common in the European art circles of the period. The lines are direct and unrefined, characteristic of the linocut medium, which requires a bold approach to form and shape. The arrangement of elements creates a sense of narrative, with the lake acting as the central axis around which the various buildings and figures are distributed. This piece offers a glimpse into the intersection of fine art and functional design, where the artist applies his stylistic sensibilities to the format of a holiday greeting. The print remains a clear example of the graphic output produced by Stolk during his career, demonstrating his ability to condense complex spatial arrangements into a singular, monochromatic visual statement.