Paarden die een boomstam voortslepen over een besneeuwd bospad 1878 - 1938

Richard Nicolaüs Roland Holst made this print of horses hauling a log through a snowy forest. Look at the way he's built up the image with tiny, precise lines. It’s like watching him think through the scene, each mark a step in understanding the weight of the wood, the breath of the horses in the cold air. The texture he creates is amazing, isn't it? The snow isn’t just a flat white; it has depth, a crunchiness you can almost feel. See how the trees are just a tangle of lines, yet they convey the starkness of winter. Notice the delicate scratches that define the horses’ muscles straining against the weight, and then how they fade into the distance. It puts me in mind of Käthe Kollwitz, who also used printmaking to capture the weight and struggle of life. Both artists share a commitment to process and a willingness to embrace ambiguity. Each mark is a testament to art's power to evoke feelings beyond words.