Dode vogel before 1977

Here’s a black and white etching of a dead bird by Kees Stoop, a Dutch artist who passed away a few years ago. I can almost feel the artist leaning into the plate, scratching away, trying to conjure up the texture of those feathers, the weight of the little body, and the sadness, or perhaps peacefulness of the scene. Look how delicately he's described each line of the wooden panel the bird lies on. And those delicate plants framing the little bird with their hopeful life force. It makes me think about all those artists who work alone in their studios, wrestling with their feelings, using humble materials like ink and paper, to make something that speaks to the bigger picture of life and death. Stoop invites us to pause and consider our place in the grand scheme of things. It's a reminder that art is often a conversation between artists across time, each building on the work of those who came before.