Vrouw die een kind borstvoeding geeft 1905 - 1930

Jacques Jeichienus Ottens made this print of a woman breastfeeding a child, using monochrome linocut. It’s like the image is carved out of the surface, revealing the image through a decisive cut. I love how the black and white contrast gives the image its power, yet there's so much tenderness in the scene. The way the light falls on the mother and child, creating a sense of intimacy, it's almost sculptural. There’s a real economy of line and tone. In the background, the window with the plant feels very close. The simple lines of the flower and pot offer a sense of the outside world pressing up against the intimate scene. Ottens really lets the materials speak for themselves. Like with Käthe Kollwitz, we see a commitment to realism, but also to the process of artmaking as a means of social commentary and personal expression. It's this combo of simplicity and depth that makes the piece stick with you.