Kruisspin in zijn web 1916 - 1919

Jan Mankes created this small etching of a spider in its web with understated mastery. The square composition is dominated by the circular web, a marvel of natural engineering rendered in delicate lines. A cross spider sits at the center, almost daring us to disrupt its carefully constructed trap. Notice how Mankes uses the stark contrast between light and shadow to define the web’s structure, giving it a palpable sense of depth and fragility. The plants below create a grounded yet eerie contrast, hinting at nature’s beauty and its darker aspects of survival and predation. Mankes was interested in the formal interplay between organic and geometric forms. The spider web is not merely a representation; it's a study in the tension between order and the unpredictable chaos of nature. This piece invites us to consider how we, too, are caught in intricate networks of our own making.