The Industry – Richard Roland Holst (c. 1900-01) – Art Nouveau Poster Print

Richard Roland Holst’s The Industry is a monumental celebration of physical labor and the workers who powered the industrial age. Four muscular laborers occupy a carefully structured industrial landscape, engaged in different stages of heavy work: hauling materials, breaking stone, stoking a furnace, and working beneath the machinery of a factory. At the center, a glowing furnace provides a dramatic focal point, its flames and sparks contrasting with the cool green structural framework and dark interior below.

The composition was created as a design for one of Roland Holst’s monumental murals in H. P. Berlage’s Amsterdam Stock Exchange, where The Industry was paired with The Trade. Roland Holst approached industrial labor not simply as documentary subject matter but as a symbol of collective human effort, giving the workers monumental, almost heroic forms. The strong horizontal divisions, simplified figures, earthy palette, and decorative treatment are characteristic of Dutch Symbolism and the country’s distinctive interpretation of Art Nouveau. The design also reflects Roland Holst’s increasingly socialist conception of art as something that could serve the community rather than exist solely as individual expression.

 

🖨️ Print features:

– Made with museum-grade archival paper for excellent printing fidelity and vibrant color reproduction

– Paper weight: 189 g/m2

– For indoor use only

– Care instructions: If the print does gather any dust, you may wipe it off gently with a clean, dry cloth.

– Please note: Due to the production process of these posters, please allow for slight size deviations with a tolerance +/- 1/16″

 

🚚 Fulfillment, Shipping, and Return Policy:

– Printed and shipped from the U.S.

– Ships in a sturdy mailing tube, frame not included

– As our items are unique and made to order, we can only accept a return or exchange in the event that an item arrives damaged or misprinted. We cannot accept returns if you order the wrong size or change your mind. Any return requests must be made within 14 days of receiving the order.

 

💬 Questions? Looking for something else, or want something in a different size? Feel free to reach out anytime; we’ll see what we can do!