Raden van Arbeid (Labour Councils) – Richard Roland Holst, 1920

POSTER IN AMSTERDAM SCHOOL GRAPHIC DESIGN

“Raden van Arbeid” [Labour Councils], colour lithograph designed by Richard Roland Holst in 1920. Size approx. 109 × 78 cm (frame: 116 × 87 cm)

At the centre of this expressive poster stands an archer, symbolising progress and vigilance. The figure is stylised into simplified, angular planes, surrounded by a stepped ornamental border that reflects the bold visual language of the Amsterdam School style.

The typography is also decoratively integrated: the monumental lettering of “Raden van Arbeid” at the top, as well as the text panels on either side (with inscriptions such as “Widows’ and Orphans’ Pensions” and “Preventive Measures”), are rendered in the same graphic design style.

The Raden van Arbeid, or Labour Councils, were established around 1919 to implement new social insurance laws. This poster announces those provisions – a message of optimism and solidarity: thanks to the Labour Councils, workers no longer had to fear insecurity in old age or in the event of an accident.

Richard Roland Holst (1868–1938) responded in this work to both artistic and social ideals of his time. As a prominent artist-designer and member of the Social Democratic Workers’ Party (SDAP), he aimed to make art accessible to a broader public. He believed art could contribute to the elevation of society – an ideal he shared with contemporaries in architecture and design. Holst collaborated with architect H.P. Berlage, creating monumental murals for the Amsterdam stock exchange (“Beurs van Berlage“) and for the building of the Diamond Workers’ Union (today known as the “Burcht van Berlage”) in Amsterdam. In doing so, he bridged architecture and graphic art in the spirit of the Amsterdam School’s ambition for a Gesamtkunstwerk, or total work of art, in which multiple disciplines converge.

Prijs: Euro 1.250,- (incl. frame)