Twee kreeften 1887 - 1924

This woodcut, "Twee kreeften" or "Two Lobsters," was made by Julie de Graag, likely in the early 20th century. It's a great example of how an artist can embrace a so-called ‘humble’ material to achieve sophisticated results. Look closely, and you’ll see how De Graag has exploited the natural grain of the wood itself. She’s used it to delineate the lobsters' armored bodies. Consider the labor involved: each line, each texture painstakingly carved away to create a matrix, from which multiple prints could be made. The intense concentration, the patient skill. Woodcuts have a long history of being associated with the mass media, cheap popular imagery, but here, De Graag has elevated the medium to something finer, more refined. This piece reminds us that it’s not just the image that matters, but the entire process and context of how it was made, challenging the traditional boundary between craft and art.