Uitvoering van Liederen uit het Liederboek voor Groot-Nederland 1901

Jan Toorop made "Uitvoering van Liederen uit het Liederboek voor Groot-Nederland" in 1901 using lithography. I’m immediately struck by the way the sandy yellow washes over everything, making the image feel both ethereal and grounded. You can tell that artmaking is a process here, where you’re looking for a colour that’s not quite right. Looking closer, there's a real push and pull between texture and flatness in the lithograph. The sandy yellow colour suggests texture, but it is a print and the lines are smooth. The lines form both the woman and the text, and somehow the two fuse together. It is almost like the words are coming out of the figure. I see it as a metaphor for how songs can uplift and transport us, the way the woman in the image seems to be rising up towards the sky. Toorop's work reminds me a little of Klimt, both have this amazing ability to blend decorative elements with deeply emotional content, leaving you with more questions than answers, which is what art is all about!