Liggende figuur met vogels 1894 - 1935

Curator: The piece before us, "Liggende figuur met vogels," roughly translated to "Reclining Figure with Birds," is a woodcut print made by Mathieu Lauweriks sometime between 1894 and 1935. It is a beautiful landscape. Editor: It is striking, and incredibly dark. I’m drawn to the contrast of light and shadow created by the woodcut technique; there is such distinct use of negative space. You almost feel the work that went into carving the original block. Curator: Exactly! Considering Lauweriks' interest in theosophy and geometric abstraction, I see the reclining figure less as a specific individual and more as a representation of humanity contemplating nature and the cosmos. Notice how the figure almost blends with the landscape, suggesting a union with the natural world. Perhaps reflecting the anxieties and introspection that arose around the turn of the century with societal and spiritual reformations, and the growing questioning of traditionally accepted belief. Editor: That’s fascinating. I also find the prominence of the birds interesting from a production standpoint. The rendering seems simplistic but consider how much work has to go into each line carved to give this avian motion. Is he suggesting an opening of imagination? There is something ethereal and maybe even unsettling about the towering head on the far right. Curator: I believe that looming face could represent divine guidance, or even the weight of ancestral wisdom. Given the social climate in which he was working, particularly ideas around individual experience in response to collective beliefs and traditions, one cannot separate that tension with the rise of interest in spiritualism at the time. Editor: That provides the necessary depth for reading this piece. How was this print created, or rather, what steps do you think Lauweriks took in carving the block? Curator: Woodcut printing involves carving a design into a block of wood, inking the remaining surface, and pressing it onto paper. It requires skill and patience to control the amount of pressure used and an understanding of the material itself. Given that period that the work was likely made within, one must assume the relative access that Lauweriks had to necessary materials and tools, too, and his training background. Editor: Looking at it again with that production process in mind definitely changes my perception of the figure, the sky, everything. Curator: Mine too. It reveals so much about its historical and social context through these observations! Editor: Indeed. Thanks to that lens, this image now provides a new wealth of cultural narratives to consider.