Zeelt 1917

Jan Mankes made this print of a tench, a Zeelt in Dutch, using black ink on paper. I can only imagine him in his studio, his hand steadily guiding the tool that carves away at the block, each line deliberate, each mark considered. He probably had to be so careful because one wrong move and he'd have to start all over again. There's something about the texture of the fish's scales that reminds me of pointillism, but with a more graphic edge. The plants reach up to the surface of the water and surround the little fish. Mankes was inspired by Japanese prints, where compositions are spare, simple. I love that in his very short life he was so prolific. He left a legacy of quiet observation. This tench reminds me that artists are always looking, borrowing, and riffing off one another, contributing to this awesome conversation across time.