Vechtende hazen 1892 - 1940

Henri Verstijnen made this etching of fighting hares sometime in the first half of the 20th century. It’s all done with etched lines, like he’s scratching into the surface, building up tone and texture. You can see the process, the artist figuring it out as he goes. I love the raw energy of the piece. The hares are all teeth and claws, locked in this crazy dance, while the other one just watches from the sidelines! Look at the way Verstijnen uses the lines to create a sense of movement, like they're blurred with speed and aggression. The plants and grasses around them are all spiky and agitated too, echoing the violence of the fight. This reminds me a little bit of Kathe Kollwitz, another German artist who was working around the same time. Both of them had this way of capturing the raw, unvarnished truth of life in their work. They weren't afraid to show the ugly side of things, but they also found beauty in the struggle. Art isn't always about pretty pictures, it's about trying to make sense of the world, even when it doesn't make any sense at all.