Parelhoenders 1892 - 1931

Henri Verstijnen made this print of guinea fowl using dark ink on paper. Look how the simple black and white palette creates a graphic punch! It’s like he’s saying, “I don’t need color to make something sing.” Notice the way the artist uses the little white dots to give the fowl a sculptural, almost comical presence. The dots create a rhythm across the surface, and your eye starts dancing with them. I love how Verstijnen doesn’t try to hide the process. You can almost feel the artist’s hand as he placed each dot, one by one. The dark, linear background reminds me a little of woodcuts by artists like Félix Vallotton, who also played with stark contrasts. But Verstijnen's whimsical touch makes this very much his own. Art is like a big conversation, and it's fun to see how artists riff off each other's ideas!