Hondenkoppen c. 1944 - 1990

Kees Stoop made this image of dog heads, or 'Hondenkoppen' as he called it, using etching. Look at the scratching, like the dog is itching. There's a definite mood there. It reminds me of the way some people draw cats, all tense and scratchy like they are ready to jump. You know, the kind of drawing that is so full of nervous energy. I wonder if Stoop ever tried to be a vet. It's like he knows these dogs, their personalities. I imagine him sketching furiously, trying to capture their essence before they bounded off. The dogs' heads are all huddled together, almost like they're sharing a secret. Or maybe they're just cold? The way the lines build up the form reminds me of Rembrandt. Artists are always in conversation with each other, even across centuries.