Orchideeën c. 1916

This is Samuel Jessurun de Mesquita’s Orchideeën, a print of graphic black and white orchids, and I can just imagine the artist leaning in, carving lines into the block, coaxing this pattern into being. There’s a strong sense of observation here – looking at these graphic orchids, I’m thinking of the relationship between accuracy and abstraction. Where does one end and the other begin? What’s essential and what can you leave out? The black ink feels almost velvety. It’s so flat, but it’s also full of texture because you just know how much physical effort was involved in making it. It’s like de Mesquita is having a conversation with other artists across time, isn’t it? I’m thinking of, say, the botanical studies of someone like Maria Merian Sibylla, but filtered through a completely different sensibility.