Engelse Kropduif 1892 - 1940

Henri Verstijnen created this woodcut of an English Pouter Pigeon in black ink. Look at the way the black ink sits on the paper, creating a contrast between the bird and the stark backdrop. I can imagine Verstijnen, carving away at the woodblock, carefully considering each line, each shadow. The pigeon seems to be strutting, proud and full of itself, with its puffed-out chest and knowing gaze. But there's also a sense of loneliness, of being perched on the edge of something bigger, more imposing. The architecture in the background mirrors the shape of the bird. The buildings add to the feeling of the bird standing in place and time. It’s like a conversation between the bird and its environment. Verstijnen is making us think about the pigeon, and how it relates to the world it inhabits.