Vlinder, haan en bladwerk 1901

Julie de Graag made this woodcut, "Vlinder, haan en bladwerk," which translates to "Butterfly, Rooster, and Foliage," using a reductive approach, carving directly into the block. It's a small thing, only 130 by 77mm, but full of visual incident. The texture is so present; you can almost feel the gouges made by her tools. Look at the rooster, how the wood grain mimics the form of its feathers, connecting the figure to the ground. And the way the butterfly hovers above, its wings a delicate contrast to the rooster's earthbound stance. The foliage adds this decorative, almost art nouveau feel. De Graag clearly embraced the physical act of carving, letting the marks speak for themselves, like a conversation between the artist and the material. I'm reminded of the German Expressionist woodcuts of Heckel or Kirchner, though de Graag brings a lightness and a kind of joyful playfulness to the medium. It’s a celebration of the handmade, a little world carved into being.