Boom met hartvormige bladeren 1906 - 1945

This is Reijer Stolk's 'Boom met hartvormige bladeren', or 'Tree with heart-shaped leaves' made with woodcut, sometime before 1945, now here at the Rijksmuseum. The process here is all about cutting away, revealing the image through removal. It’s kind of a conceptual thing, right? You start with a block, and then you take away everything that isn't the tree. I’m really drawn to the texture. Look at how the dark ink sits slightly raised on the paper, giving the whole scene a kind of tangible presence. The heart-shaped leaves are so delicately rendered, creating this beautiful, almost lace-like canopy. It’s such a simple gesture, but it transforms the tree into something so tender and expressive. It reminds me a bit of the work of Henri Matisse, especially his cut-outs. I am always interested in art that embraces ambiguity. It’s not about pinning things down but opening up possibilities, inviting us to bring our own experiences and emotions to the table.