Liggende roerdomp 1892 - 1940

Henri Verstijnen made this small image of a bittern, a Liggende roerdomp, using ink on paper. The entire image seems to emerge from a flurry of marks, like a process of building up and revealing. The dark blacks of the feathers are balanced by the scratchy whites of the bird's neck, all suggesting form through texture. See how the reeds surrounding the bird are made up of single strokes of the pen. I love the way the materiality of ink on paper emphasizes the physicality of the bittern itself, nestled amongst the reeds. The tiny dots and imperfections remind us of the delicate balance between control and chance in artmaking. It reminds me of woodblock prints by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, with their bold contrasts and raw energy.