Draak 1878 - 1943

Willem van Konijnenburg made this etching called Draak, which is Dutch for Dragon, using dark lines on a light plate. I can imagine the artist in the studio, with total concentration, scratching away at the surface with a fine needle. It reminds me of a fever dream, teetering between reality and some strange mythic world. I wonder what Van Konijnenburg was thinking when he created this beast, perched so precariously with its serpentine body and watchful gaze. The lines seem to vibrate on the page, giving the dragon a sense of barely contained energy, as if it might spring to life at any moment. The wispy lines in the background remind me of other early twentieth century painters like Marsden Hartley, who were also exploring new forms of spiritual expression. Artists are always bouncing off each other, riffing on forms, swapping ideas across time. It is a conversation.