Twee kraaien 1887 - 1931

Frans Everbag made this image of two crows with paint, or some kind of pigment, and paper; I imagine him considering the world from a quiet place. The picture's muted tones are like a memory, but the crows, perched on their branch, are so vivid! See how Everbag works the paint, the darks thick but almost translucent, especially in the bird to the front. It’s like he’s building up the image, layer by layer, each stroke defining form, feather, and depth, so that the shadows become as important as the light. Look at how the branch the crows are on has hardly any leaves. And how the artist's rendered the misty landscape behind. It's like he’s showing us that beauty exists even in the starkest, most unassuming corners of the world. This piece reminds me a little of James Ensor, another artist who found the sublime in the everyday.