De vos 1894 - 1959

This is a print called “De Vos” by Gordinne at the Rijksmuseum. It's so simple, and yet the economy of mark making really gets to me. A few brown lines, and *poof*, there's a fox, ready to pounce among the chickens, with the sweet little cottage in the background. This person knew how to *draw*. I think about what it must have been like for Gordinne to make this. What were they thinking? What was their life like? What other art did they like? You know, it reminds me a bit of Picasso's line drawings, and even Matisse's paper cutouts... though maybe that's just me. Artists, we're all just stealing from each other anyway, right? And it’s also a reminder that painting is just one part of the conversation that artists are having with each other. We’re all just trying to figure things out, one brushstroke at a time, and each one is inspired by, or a reaction to, something else.