Jule- og nytårskort 1947

This is 'Jule- og nytårskort' – a Christmas and New Year card - by Axel Hou, made in 1947. The whole image is made up of thousands of tiny marks, like a swarm of ink bees made a nest on the surface. I can imagine Axel hunched over the plate, carefully etching each line to bring this fantasy scene to life. Look at the kneeling figure, and the winged creature swooping down; it's like a dream, or a memory trying to surface. I wonder what Axel was thinking about as he worked, what stories or feelings he wanted to share with the lucky person who received this card. You know, making marks like this is like a form of speaking, a way to reach out and connect with someone beyond words. Each line is a thought, a breath, a tiny piece of the artist’s soul. The way he has used line to describe the landscape reminds me of other artists, like Paula Rego, whose prints convey a similar otherworldly feeling. Artists are always learning from and conversing with each other, even across time.