Vignet met gereedschap en het wapen van Haarlem 1878 - 1940

Elias Voet Jr. made this woodcut print, "Vignet met gereedschap en het wapen van Haarlem", which translates to "Vignette with tools and the coat of arms of Haarlem." I like to think about the process of printmaking, the way an artist might go about carving into the wood, cutting away material to leave behind the image. Voet had to remove the negative space to create this composition in relief. It’s like he’s building up the forms by taking away. This is a beautiful arrangement of Masonic symbols and graphic elements—it's cool how the dark outlines give depth and solidity to the design, while the shapes add a sense of movement. It reminds me a bit of the graphic style of early 20th-century bookplates and illustrations. Printmaking is so cool—it's about multiplication, reproduction, and how images can be shared and spread. I love the idea that artists are always in conversation with each other across time, riffing off ideas, and inspiring new creativity.