Het varken 1894 - 1959

This is Gordinne’s ‘Het Varken’, or ‘The Pig’, I don't know exactly when it was made but it is a print. I find the colour palette here very muted and calming. The rendering is very traditional, in the sense that it has a ‘classical’ feel, but also very quirky. The image presents a couple of pigs eating. What stands out to me is the soft hatching, the way the marks are laid down on the surface of the pig's skin. The image is printed, so the surface itself is quite flat, but the gentle hatching gives the impression of depth and volume. Look at the shadows underneath the pigs, how soft and suggestive they are. It is not trying to be overly realistic, but instead creates a feeling or an atmosphere. I would say that the piece relates to earlier etchings and drawings, like those of Rembrandt. But it also has a modern quality, a lightness of touch, that feels very contemporary. It shows the ongoing conversation that art has across generations. I find that very comforting.