Paaskaart van Eugène Strens c. 1920 - 1947

This "Paaskaart van Eugène Strens" is an engraving, so it was made by cutting lines into a surface, covering that with ink, and then pressing paper onto it. I really admire that it is made up of all these little details. Look at how the artist uses stark black and white to create depth and texture. See the rooster, for instance? It's all lines, but you get the sense of his feathers. The cherubic figures at the top, they seem to be tumbling down from a heaven filled with shamrocks. And then there's the sun, with a face that seems to be both smiling and judging. I love the contrast between the precision of the lines and the almost chaotic energy of the composition. It reminds me a bit of some of the woodcuts by artists like Max Pechstein, who also used this high contrast and simplified forms to convey raw emotion. But here, it’s all about playfulness, and the simple joy of making. It shows you that art is an ongoing conversation, an exchange of ideas across time.