Sprinkhaan 1918

Julie de Graag made this woodcut, Sprinkhaan, which is Dutch for grasshopper, sometime around 1918. The palette is limited to a few shades of green and black, and the marks are fairly simple and straightforward. The background is just vertical lines in a lighter green tone. The textures here are fascinating. The fine lines that define the insect's body create a sense of depth and volume, while the delicate antennae reach out like feelers. The overall effect is both precise and organic. The grasshopper feels like it’s captured in a moment of stillness, but also teeming with potential energy. De Graag's process reminds me a little of the German Expressionist woodcut artists like Heckel or Schmidt-Rottluff. But her work feels more intimate and personal. It invites us to really look, and maybe even to imagine what it feels like to be a grasshopper in a field of grass. It’s a conversation between the artist, the subject, and us, the viewers.