Zwaan achter hek 1894 - 1935

Mathieu Lauweriks made "Swan Behind Bars" as a print, probably using wood or linoleum. It's all blacks and whites, hard and unforgiving, yet I'm immediately drawn to that swan, which is behind vertical bars, but also figures with long robes. I wonder what Lauweriks was thinking when he was making this piece. Were these spiritual figures trapped by earthly existence, or the other way around? The swan itself is interesting—its wings, or head, droop under the weight of the atmosphere. But it's a pretty surreal combo, right? That the artist would put these things together. It's all about visual experimentation. I see his thought process and the way he was trying to challenge himself and his viewers. Artists are always inspired by other artists from the past, and they leave their own mark for artists in the future. What will you take away from this?