Ram en schaap 1902

Frans Lebret made this etching of a ram and sheep in 1902, and what grabs me is the pure process. The entire image, from woolly coats to wooden planks, is built from a dense network of etched lines, a real testament to the power of mark-making. Looking closely, you can see how Lebret uses the density and direction of the lines to suggest form and texture. The ram’s fleece is a flurry of short, chaotic strokes, while the wooden structure is rendered with more deliberate, parallel lines. I particularly like the way he captures the curl of the ram’s horns, each line carefully placed to create a sense of depth and volume. This kind of work reminds me a bit of Dürer's engravings, in the way that the cross-hatching can create a sense of light and shadow. Like Dürer, Lebret reminds us that a single mark can carry so much weight, building to create a whole world on paper. It's a humble subject, rendered with real skill and dedication.