Ooievaar (Magoear-ooievaar) 1914

Here we see Samuel Jessurun de Mesquita's woodcut, "Ooievaar," showcasing a stork nestled in its nest. The stark contrast of black and white immediately draws the eye, creating a visually arresting composition. The artist's meticulous carving shapes the bird's form and feathers, while the nest and background are rendered with a dense network of parallel lines. De Mesquita's formal approach strips away the sentimental. The use of black and white emphasizes the structural elements. This visual reduction creates a binary system of signs, inviting us to decode the underlying structure of the image. The nest, a symbol of home and nurture, becomes an abstract pattern, challenging fixed meanings associated with domesticity. Ultimately, "Ooievaar" functions as a site of constant re-evaluation, reminding us that art is not a static object but rather an ever-evolving dialogue between form, content, and interpretation.