Repose 1932

Lionel Lindsay made this print, called Repose, sometime in the first half of the twentieth century. Look at all that detail! It’s amazing what he’s achieved by carving into a block, then inking it to create this image of roosting chickens. I think about Lindsay in his studio, carefully chipping away at the block, probably inking and re-inking to see how it’s going. It’s quite a different process than painting, but I can imagine him thinking about light and shade, and building up these layers, like I do in a painting. The texture of the feathers is incredible. And the way the light falls on the rooster’s comb. You can almost feel the warmth of their bodies huddled together. The leaves above them frame the birds like a curtain. There's a rich history of artists representing animals, from cave paintings to Audubon's birds. It’s like Lindsay is continuing that conversation, reminding us of the beauty and dignity of these humble creatures. Painting and printmaking are both a kind of embodied expression. There’s no one way to look at this artwork; it’s more like an invitation to reflect.