Studie van een duif before 1918

This is Willem Hendrik Bik's "Studie van een duif," likely made with etching, a process where the artist coaxes an image into being with line. The image is a study, and you can see how the making is worn on its sleeve. Look at the marks around the bird, the texture and layering in the crown of feathers. The delicate hatching creates form, the whole thing feels so fragile, like it could fly away. It’s the kind of image that makes you want to slow down and focus, just to really see the way that the marks build up the image. Bik tragically died young, but his work here reminds me of other artists fascinated by etching. Think about Rembrandt and his capacity to conjure an entire world out of a handful of lines. It’s a reminder that art is an ongoing conversation, with each artist adding their own voice to the mix.