De vos 1894 - 1959

This print, *De vos*, or "The Fox," appears to be some kind of printed illustration. Right away, I notice the earth-tone palette—those browns and greens are doing a lot of work here. It's fascinating how the artist, Gordinne, uses hatching and simple stokes to create textures, like the fox's fur or the thatched roof of the house in the background. Speaking of the fox, check out its posture – it's low to the ground, eyes darting, ready to pounce. There’s a real sense of tension in its body, a feeling like anything could happen in the next moment. This piece reminds me a little of some of the wildlife illustrations by someone like Audubon, but with a more folksy, less scientific feel. You get the sense that it's not necessarily about being accurate, but capturing something about the animal's spirit, its cunning. Art is always this ongoing conversation, with artists riffing off each other across generations.