Haan op één poot 1915 - 1917

This is Jan Mankes’s etching of a rooster, titled ‘Haan op één poot’. The artwork draws the eye into a world of monochrome tonalities and intricate textures. The composition is dominated by the rooster, centrally placed, creating a powerful sense of presence. Mankes masterfully employs etching to create an interplay between light and shadow. The use of fine lines gives the rooster's feathers a tactile quality. This brings to mind the semiotic concept where the signifier—the etched lines—creates the signified—the texture of feathers. The rooster, a symbol often linked to vigilance and pride, is grounded on one leg, challenging its symbolic meaning. In its structural presentation and artistic exploration, Mankes compels us to challenge fixed meanings, prompting a contemplation of how we perceive and categorize the world around us.