Titelhoofd met een koeienstal 1893 - 1927

Gerrit Willem Dijsselhof made this title page with a cowshed, or Titelhoofd met een koeienstal, using woodcut techniques, and you can see it here at the Rijksmuseum. It has got that graphic feel, like an image lifted from the pages of a book. Everything is rendered in this graphic style. Look at the farmer and his cows! It's a storybook scene. I imagine Dijsselhof wanting to capture the mood of a rural scene. The black and white aesthetic makes you think of the starkness and quietude of the countryside. The cows and the farmer seem calm and serene. A bit like he’s playing with simple shapes and forms. The way Dijsselhof plays with the narrative of everyday life reminds us of the beauty and wonder of the mundane. It brings to mind other graphic artists and printmakers, all working in the same tradition of storytelling through images. And that tradition continues today, with each artist adding their unique voice to the conversation.