Liggende leeuw bij drie cactussen 1931

Bernard Willem Wierink made this color woodcut, "Liggende leeuw bij drie cactussen," which translates to "Reclining Lion with Three Cacti," sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. There's a beautiful roughness to the print; you can see the grain of the wood in the lion's mane. It's a reminder that art isn't just about the image, but the process of making. The cacti are rendered in a dreamy, almost ghostly green, creating a strange tension with the realistic rendering of the lion. Look at how the sharp lines and the dark tones of the woodcut give the lion a sense of power. The contrast between the lion and the cacti gives the piece an emotional depth, like it's about the wild versus the domestic, or strength versus vulnerability. This piece reminds me a little of Paula Modersohn-Becker, another artist who was experimenting with woodcuts and exploring new ways of seeing the world at this time. Art is a conversation, and this print is definitely a part of that ongoing dialogue.