Droogmaking van de Zuiderzee 1930 1930

This bronze medal commemorating the draining of the Zuiderzee was made in 1930 by Gijsbert Jacobs van den Hof. What strikes me is the figure emerging from the water. It's an allegory, of course, a symbol of the transformation of the sea into land. I love the physicality of this piece. You can almost feel the weight of the bronze, the cool touch of the metal. The artist’s process is evident in the way the image is carved. Look closely and you will see how the figure has been pushed out of the material. The artist has worked with the material rather than trying to hide it. The texture gives the piece a kind of emotional weight. It reminds me of some of Rodin’s sculptures. Rodin also used the body to express raw emotion and his surfaces are similarly alive with the marks of the making process. Ultimately, art is about conversation, an ongoing exchange of ideas across time.