Nederlandse Vereeniging tot Bescherming van Dieren - Reijer Stolk

A graphic design by Dutch artist Reijer Stolk for the Dutch Society for the Protection of Animals, featuring a stylised hand and bird.

Reijer Stolk was a Dutch graphic artist and painter who spent his early years in Java. This background influenced his technical approach, particularly his use of batik-inspired wax-resist methods in printmaking. This specific work is a design for the Nederlandse Vereeniging tot Bescherming van Dieren, the Dutch Society for the Protection of Animals. It features a central motif of a human hand cradling a small bird, surrounded by a series of rhythmic, angular lines that create a sense of movement. The typography is integrated into the composition, with the text "Nederlandsche Vereeniging" at the top and "Bescherming van Dieren" at the bottom. Stolk used a hand-lettered style that aligns with the geometric aesthetic of the Art Deco period. The letters are elongated and structured, mirroring the linear patterns in the central illustration. At the very bottom, the words "Motto: Mensch" appear, suggesting a humanist connection between people and the animal kingdom. Stolk was a member of the Vereeniging tot Bevordering der Grafische Kunst (Society for the Promotion of Graphic Arts). His work often combined traditional European printmaking with Javanese decorative elements. In this piece, the repetition of lines suggests a woodcut or linocut technique, where the artist carves away material to leave the raised surfaces for inking. The result is a stark, high-contrast image that communicates its message through clear, bold forms rather than tonal shading.