Vrouw die een kind borstvoeding geeft 1905 - 1930

Jacques Jeichienus Ottens made this black ink woodcut, "Woman Breastfeeding a Child", sometime in the early 20th century. Imagine the artist, alone with his tools, carefully carving away at the wood, each cut a deliberate choice, a story etched into the surface. The dark lines create a sense of intimacy and quiet contemplation. The mother is depicted in a moment of tender connection with her child, while outside the window, a plant reaches for the light. Ottens’ signature is scrawled underneath the image. It almost looks as if he’s left it as a message, perhaps in conversation with other artists working with similar themes, or those, like Paula Modersohn-Becker, depicting motherhood. What was he thinking as he made it? What did he hope to communicate through the work? This woodcut is an invitation to reflect on our shared human experiences. It is a reminder that art can offer us new ways of seeing, thinking, and experiencing the world, sparking our own creativity.