Jager met hond 1928

Willem van Konijnenburg made this print, Jager met hond, at some point, using a drypoint technique to create velvety dark lines. The tonal range here is achieved through the varying density of lines and cross-hatching. Look at the hunter’s face, and how the artist uses the close, nervous lines to give him form. The light and shadow seem to emerge organically from the physical act of mark-making. It’s a testament to how process can become meaning. I’m really drawn to the way Konijnenburg renders the dog. With just a few, carefully placed strokes, he conveys the animal's texture and weight, and the sense of it being a solid, breathing creature. Konijnenburg's work reminds me a little of Odilon Redon, another artist who embraced the power of black and white to create worlds that are both familiar and dreamlike. It suggests art is a conversation across time, where artists borrow, respond, and reimagine what came before.