Haan Possibly 1901 - 1905

This little woodcut, Haan, was made by Julie de Graag. I love the simple, powerful gesture of this print. It’s like she took a carving tool and just *knew* how to render the essence of a rooster. You can almost feel the artist's hand moving across the block, carving away at the wood to reveal the form. Look at the way she used the lines to suggest the feathers and the confident strut of the rooster. There is a real sense of character there. It reminds me a bit of the German Expressionists, who were also exploring woodcuts at this time. The image is direct, but it also leaves space for our imagination. What was de Graag thinking about when she made this? Was it a study of form, or a playful exploration? I think it might have been both. It’s a reminder that artmaking is an ongoing conversation, isn’t it?