Man met paard in de sneeuw before 1928

Bernard Essers made this print of a man and horse in the snow sometime in the first half of the 20th century. It is an image made of contrasts. Light versus dark, foreground versus background. But within the image itself, everything feels really balanced. Look at the way Essers uses the black ink, so velvety in some areas, to create these really expressive shapes. The large tree on the right is so clearly defined, but look closer and you’ll see the way the ink fades out in places to create a sense of depth. You can almost feel the cold of the winter. The whole scene reminds me a little of Van Gogh, especially some of his drawings, but it also feels very modern in its use of space and flattened perspective. There’s an immediacy here, a directness that feels very contemporary. And like all good art, this print reveals more the longer you look at it. It’s a quiet scene but has so much to say.