Kop van een liggende hond met halsband 1894

This is Joseph Schippers’s print of ‘Head of a Lying Dog with Collar,’ made using etching. A square frame encloses the dog, behind which vertical lines suggest a partition or gate. The image appears to be a study in contrasts. The textured fur of the dog is set against the smooth, unblemished paper. The use of etching captures the dog’s alert yet weary demeanor, emphasized by the solid collar around its neck, suggesting both status and constraint. This etching exists as a set of signs; the collar, the breed, the composition of the image. The limited palette focuses the viewer’s attention on the interplay between light and shadow, and the geometric structure underlying the composition. While seemingly simple, the artwork subtly explores themes of domestication and the gaze. Schippers invites us to consider how even the most familiar subjects can reveal deeper cultural narratives through careful manipulation of form and material. The etching shows us that the meaning is not singular, but is part of a broader cultural and philosophical conversation.