September 1917

Julie de Graag made this color woodcut called ‘September’ in 1917. I can imagine Julie de Graag carefully carving away at the block, revealing the shapes of these plump, earthy mushrooms. There’s such a wonderful tactility in the print, from the striations in the mushroom caps to the tiny dots that suggest the forest floor. You can feel the love of the natural world that was so important to her. I'm thinking about that year, 1917, in the midst of World War I. There's something poignant about finding solace and beauty in these quiet, unassuming forms. You can see echoes of Japanese woodblock prints but with a distinctly personal sensibility. It is a conversation between artists across time, and Julie de Graag is adding her voice. She's reminding us to look closely, to find magic in the mundane.