Haan 1887 - 1924

Julie de Graag made this small woodcut print called "Haan" - which is Dutch for "Rooster" - at some point in her short career. Her style was rooted in the Dutch revival of woodcut printing. This movement was inspired by the English Arts and Crafts movement, which saw the traditional crafts as a rebellion against industrialisation. This small print, then, participates in that trend. But there is also an institutional history here. De Graag was a student of the "Haagse Vrije Academie," the Free Academy of the Hague. This art school, which rejected formal training methods, was founded in 1912 by a collective of artists, and was particularly open to women. So, while the image is simple, the story behind it speaks to the artistic and educational institutions of the Netherlands at the beginning of the 20th century. To fully understand such a work of art, we need to consider the historical context of its production and reception, using sources like exhibition catalogs and artists' correspondence.