New monograph.
This book is the fourth volume of the Hands of Time series and covers De Wilde's new works from the period 2021–2025. Titled Les très riches heures de Jean le Sauvage, it highlights his exploration of the number Pi, along with his ongoing series History 500 – Alles wat geweest zal zijn – Tout ce qui aura été – All that will have been, as well as History 515 – Maniera and History 527 – Decline – Inzinking. Although this fourth volume appears from the outside similar in shape and design as its predecessors, the inside is completely rethought, resulting in a complex book object. The book offers an in-depth look at the artist's evolving creative journey, revealing a powerful dialogue between time, art, and mathematical intrigue.
Johan De Wilde (born 1964 in Zele) is a Belgian artist whose meticulous pencil drawings investigate the interplay between time, perception, and abstraction. Since the mid-1990s, he has developed a practice centered on labor-intensive works composed of layered horizontal and vertical lines, often executed in graphite and colored pencil on archival cardboard. Working predominantly in A4 format, a deliberate nod to universality, De Wilde's drawings evoke a sense of quiet contemplation, inviting viewers to engage with subtle shifts in form and texture. Recurring themes in his oeuvre include mathematical concepts like the number Pi, the passage of time, and the tension between the visible and the invisible. These motifs are explored through series such as Pars Pro Toto, which reinterprets the color schemes of Fra Angelico's frescoes, and History 241 – Faber vs. Pablo, a comparative study of industrial color palettes.
