Staande maraboe 1884 - 1952

Reinier Willem Petrus de Vries made this woodcut of a marabou stork sometime in the early 20th century. With its muted green background and stark white figure, the image is a beautiful example of how a simple palette can convey so much. It speaks to an artmaking process rooted in an appreciation for the natural world. The texture in this print is really interesting. You can see the grain of the wood in the background, a kind of ghostly echo, which gives the image a tactile quality. It's thin, transparent, and you can sense the hand of the artist. It’s almost as though de Vries is inviting us to feel the same connection to this bird that he did. Look closely at the body of the stork, the parallel lines creating a sense of depth and volume, and the way its legs are depicted with just a few delicate lines. The simplified forms and the focus on capturing the essence of the bird remind me a bit of the Japanese prints of Hiroshige. Like those artists, de Vries is interested in conveying a feeling, an atmosphere, rather than a literal representation. Ultimately, this is an image that leaves room for interpretation. It’s a reminder that art is a conversation, an exchange of ideas that continues across time and cultures.