Dimensions: height 43.5 cm, width 28.4 cm
Copyright: Rijks Museum: Open Domain
This book cover, called '1935 in beeld', was probably made in 1935 with printmaking techniques. Isn't it interesting how the artist uses only black and white to create such a dramatic scene? The way the grim reaper looms over the globe and the hourglass feels so…apocalyptic! It reminds me that artmaking is a process of selection. By using stark contrasts, the artist forces us to focus on these symbols of mortality and time. Look at the lines etched into the globe. You can almost feel the weight of the world in that hand, and the texture gives a tactile quality to something so abstract. And the face— that stern, unforgiving expression—it’s like a Greek tragedy unfolding before our eyes. It makes me think of Otto Dix, another artist who wasn’t afraid to confront the darker sides of human existence. Art is about asking questions, not giving answers. What do you think it means?
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