Paaskaart van Eugène Strens c. 1920 - 1947

This Easter card for Eugène Strens, made by an anonymous artist, is a playful combination of images carved into a block and printed. I love trying to imagine how these kinds of artworks come into being. It’s like the artist started with a black plane and then carved away, digging deeper and deeper, revealing the images. First, they must have drawn on the block in reverse, then slowly cut away the negative space to reveal cherubic figures ringing bells, a smiling sun, and an idyllic scene of Easter celebration. You can see the hand of the artist in the sharp lines of the rooster and the delicate curves of the banner. The choice of black ink on paper gives it a bold, graphic quality, like early expressionist prints by artists such as Emil Nolde. There's a conversation happening here across time and place; each artist building on what came before, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. For me, it's a reminder that creativity is a collaborative process and that every artist is part of a larger story.