Cricquet - Reijer Stolk

A bold Art Deco graphic print by Dutch artist Reijer Stolk, depicting a stylised cricket player. This work uses heavy outlines and stippled colour to create a modern sporting scene.

Reijer Stolk was a Dutch graphic artist born in Java. His work often combined European modernism with techniques influenced by Indonesian batik. This work, titled Cricquet, demonstrates his interest in bold graphic forms and unconventional compositions. The image focuses on the lower half of a cricket player. We see the padded legs and sturdy boots alongside the bottom of a cricket bat near the stumps. The composition is tightly cropped. Stolk uses heavy black outlines to define the shapes. These lines have a slightly irregular, hand-cut quality characteristic of woodblock printing. The colour application is distinct. He employs a stippling technique with red and blue dots on the player's trousers. This creates a sense of texture without using traditional shading. The background is a flat, teal wash that provides a sharp contrast to the white and yellow elements. The use of primary and secondary colours in a restricted palette is typical of the De Stijl influence present in Dutch art of this period. Stolk was a member of the "Nederlandsche Vereeniging voor Ambachts- en Nijverheidskunst" (V.A.N.K.), an association for craft and industrial arts. This background is evident in the precise yet expressive nature of his printmaking. The typography at the base of the print is integrated into the overall design. The word "CRICQUET" is rendered in a custom, interlocking script. The letters "C" and "Q" feature elongated curves that mirror the rounded forms of the player's pads. This work is an example of how early 20th-century artists applied avant-garde styles to sporting subjects. Stolk avoids a literal representation of the game. Instead, he focuses on the geometry and patterns found in the equipment and uniform. The resulting image is a balanced arrangement of line and colour that captures the essence of the sport through a modernist lens.