the turtle akbar

• Gift of G.A. de Graag www.rijkmuseum.nl

Before I do anything else, let me offer you the link to this piece over at the Rijksmuseum, so you can really see and enjoy it.  This is a print (woodcut) by Dutch artist Julie de Graag (1877-1924), immortalizing turtle Akbar, dog Max, and cat...uh, Puss.  ("Poes" in Dutch.)  There is very little in English-language scholarship to date about de Graag, which is a pity, as her woodcuts of animals and nature are devastating in their skill and beauty.  Look:

• Gift of G.A. de Graag www.rijkmuseum.nl

Three Cats, 1916

• Gift of M. J.. de Graag www.rijkmuseum.nl

Ferns, 1920

I was able to find an entry on de Graag in the Dictionary of Women Artists (1997).