Twee kippen 1617 - 1681

This delicate etching, "Twee kippen," by Cornelis Saftleven, captures two chickens with remarkable textural detail. The composition is immediately striking, with the larger hen dominating the foreground, its plumage a symphony of etched lines that create a palpable sense of volume and depth. Saftleven’s mastery lies in his ability to convey the chickens' materiality. The meticulous cross-hatching and the careful rendering of light and shadow are not merely representational; they are constitutive of the subject itself. The varying densities of lines suggest the varying textures of the hen’s feathers, giving them a tactile presence. The smaller chicken in the background, rendered with fewer details, enhances the spatial depth of the composition, drawing our eyes across the plane. This work challenges our perception of the mundane. It is an exercise in seeing, inviting us to find aesthetic value in the everyday, and reminding us that even the simplest subjects can be a site of profound artistic investigation.