Ontwerp voor ex libris van W.F.H. Oldewelt 1914

This is Ferdinand Oldewelt’s "Ontwerp voor ex libris van W.F.H. Oldewelt," made in 1914. It’s a woodcut, so imagine the careful removal of material to create this contrast between black and white. The composition is really striking, this figure deeply engrossed in a book, and there’s a landscape, a whole other world suggested behind him. I’m curious about the relationship between reading and nature in this piece, how the act of reading can transport us to other places. There's something so restful in the image; it’s a real place of contemplation. I wonder if Oldewelt felt a connection to the reader. There’s a kinship there – the artist, the reader, all participating in the same cultural activity. Artists are always in dialogue with each other. There's this lovely conversation happening across time, inspiring each other's creativity, you know? It makes me want to pick up a book, or maybe go make something myself!