Zonnebloem 1914

This is Samuel Jessurun de Mesquita's woodcut, a sunflower in a vase. Look at how the carving tool has rendered the petals—so many thin strokes, radiating from the center, each petal reaching out a little differently than the next. You can really feel the hand of the artist here. I wonder what he was thinking as he carved this image. Was he trying to capture the fleeting beauty of nature, to make something that would last longer than the flower itself? I love the contrast between the dense, almost chaotic texture of the sunflower's head, versus the smooth, reflective surface of the vase. And those little shells up top! They add a touch of whimsy, a sense of playful curiosity. This piece reminds me of other printmakers like Munch or Nolde, who were also exploring the expressive potential of woodcuts at this time. It's like they were all having a conversation, pushing the boundaries of what this medium could do. Ultimately, this is a reminder that art is a form of dialogue, an ongoing exchange of ideas and inspirations across time.