Titelhoofd met hanen - Gerrit Willem Dijsselhof

A striking woodcut header by Dutch artist Gerrit Willem Dijsselhof, featuring a symmetrical design of two roosters in the Nieuwe Kunst style.

This woodcut by Gerrit Willem Dijsselhof, titled Titelhoofd met hanen, demonstrates the stylistic rigour of the Dutch Nieuwe Kunst movement. As a prominent figure in the decorative arts, Dijsselhof frequently employed the woodcut medium to create book ornaments and graphic headers. This specific work features a symmetrical arrangement of two roosters facing one another, framed by a decorative border of geometric and floral motifs. The composition is defined by a high-contrast aesthetic, typical of the artist's graphic output. The solid black forms of the birds are balanced against the negative space of the paper, creating a clear, rhythmic pattern. The inclusion of smaller, stylised floral elements within the field adds a layer of decorative detail without compromising the overall clarity of the design. The border, featuring a repeating triangular pattern, provides a structured enclosure for the central subject matter. Dijsselhof was deeply influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement and the study of natural forms, yet his approach remained distinctively graphic. His work often prioritised the flat, two-dimensional quality of the printed page, rejecting the illusion of depth in favour of clear, bold lines. This piece reflects the period's interest in the integration of text and image, where the header serves as a visual anchor for the printed content. The aged quality of the paper, visible in the warm, uneven tones, provides a tactile sense of history to the print. This work is a clear example of the graphic sensibilities that defined Dutch book design at the turn of the twentieth century, where the artist sought to unify the functional requirements of typography with the aesthetic demands of fine art.