Kip en koppen van een kip 1906 - 1945

Curator: Reijer Stolk's work, "Kip en koppen van een kip," translating to "Chicken and Heads of a Chicken," resides here at the Rijksmuseum. We believe it was created sometime between 1906 and 1945. It's a fascinating study in pencil and ink. Editor: My initial response is that it's remarkably sparse. The lines are delicate, almost tentative. There is a certain vulnerability here; a kind of simplicity. Curator: Absolutely. When you look closely at the materiality of the sketch, one has to consider its value as a study piece rather than a polished work. You can see the artist exploring form, particularly the anatomy of the chicken, through very economical lines. Consider the cost of paper, pencils, ink... Resources affect what and how artists work. Editor: That sparseness also resonates with socio-political readings. A chicken might represent domesticity, sustenance, the everyday… Yet rendered in such an almost ephemeral style, one can argue that it challenges traditional portrayals of women in domestic environments during the first half of the 20th century. A critique perhaps. Curator: That's an intriguing reading. I’m drawn to the actual making; the hand of the artist evident in the tentative lines, the corrections and the revisions all contributing to a fascinating insight to the making of the artwork, its creation. What does it mean for it to be unfinished? Editor: What does any representation mean if we don't question it? What realities is it obscuring through its selection of details, techniques and themes. We’ve barely touched the politics of gender. Curator: Exactly, the artist isn't presenting us with a completed, packaged narrative, but inviting us into a conversation. Its humble material elements speak to a specific way of making which becomes so integral to the narrative it holds. Editor: Agreed. This unassuming sketch allows for an important reflection on societal structures that is essential for our moment.