De wolf 1894 - 1959

This print of "De Wolf" was made by an anonymous artist with an unknown medium, here at the Rijksmuseum. The wolf is rendered with close, fine lines that add up to a dense sort of fuzziness, like a well-worn velvet painting. I’m drawn to the way the artist builds up the wolf's coat, layering shades of brown and grey to give it depth and texture. If you look closely, you can almost feel the wiry hairs bristling beneath your fingertips. This isn't about smooth perfection; it's about capturing the raw, untamed essence of the animal. The wolf’s gaze is fixed, alert, perhaps a little wary. He’s standing on guard, ready to face whatever comes his way. It reminds me of outsider art, or folk art, where the focus is on direct expression rather than technical skill. The image has a bit of the directness of a woodcut by someone like Ernst Barlach, though here the artist seems less concerned with emotional intensity, and more interested in a patient depiction of a beautiful animal. Art is an ongoing conversation and exchange of ideas across time.