Vogeljong 1896 - 1931

Emilius Dehé made this small woodcut print of a fledgling bird, all of one hundred and two by one hundred and twenty five millimeters, without any indication of when. The black ink is laid down in tight, close hatching and cross-hatching, conjuring the feathery softness of this baby bird. I think about the labor and time involved to make such a small image, where the smallest mistake will change the entire appearance of the creature. It's a huge risk! Imagine the artist, carefully carving out the negative spaces around the bird with sharp tools, slowly revealing its form from the wood. Look at the background—vertical parallel lines, almost like rain! The little bird is depicted looking up, maybe opening its beak, waiting for mom to drop by with a worm! It reminds me of some of Picasso's figurative sketches. Artists are constantly in conversation, both with one another and with themselves. Each mark and line is a record of thought and feeling. It’s never fixed or finished, only endlessly evolving and open to new interpretations.