Liggend konijn 1916

Julie de Graag made this woodcut of a reclining rabbit in 1916, and I imagine her carving away at the block with simple tools. There’s something so tactile about this print, isn't there? The bunny emerges from a block of colour, surrounded by a dark frame, with the outlines so clear and sharp. I wonder what de Graag was thinking as she carved each line? The physicality of the medium really strikes me; it speaks to the artist's close engagement with her materials, embracing the labor involved. The red background gives the bunny such warmth and presence. The forms are simplified, reduced to their essence, yet the rabbit still feels so alive. It reminds me of other artists like, say, Franz Marc, who also looked to animals for new ways of seeing. De Graag, like many artists, invites us to find new ways of seeing and expressing the world around us through art. It's all one big conversation, with each artist adding their own little piece to the puzzle.