The cover of De Stijl, vol. 4, no. 2 was designed by Theo van Doesburg in February 1921 using letterpress printing.

This issue marks the fourth year of the influential De Stijl journal, which was central to the Dutch avant-garde movement of the same name. The cover reflects van Doesburg’s role as editor and principal designer, and it was produced during a period of intense activity and international ambition for the group. The composition features a bold, asymmetrical arrangement of text, with the journal’s title “DE STIJL” printed in black and partially overlaid by large red initials “N” and “B.” The remainder of the cover is largely blank, emphasizing clarity and geometric order. Additional information, including the publication’s international scope and van Doesburg’s editorial credit, appears in a vertical block of black type on the right.

The design uses only black and red inks on white paper, characteristic of the movement’s preference for primary colors and strong contrasts. De Stijl was published in Leiden and distributed in cities such as Antwerp, Paris, and Rome, as indicated at the bottom of the cover. The journal served as a platform for the ideas of the De Stijl movement, which advocated for abstraction and universality in art, architecture, and design. This cover is documented in the 1968 complete reprint edited by Ad Petersen, which preserves the original layout and typographic choices of the 1921 edition.