October (1917)

Two mushrooms rise from the surface of Julie de Graag’s October with an almost austere clarity, their quiet presence carrying more than botanical interest alone. In this woodcut from 1917, the reduced composition and restrained palette draw attention to the fragile threshold between growth and decline, making the image feel closely tied to the season named in its title. What appears simple at first becomes quietly charged: a study of natural form that also evokes autumn, transience, and the recurring cycles of life.

Nature and the Artist’s Later Years

October belongs to Julie de Graag’s later period, when she turned with increasing focus toward subjects drawn from the natural world, including plants, animals, and fungi. By 1917, she had become closely associated with Art Nouveau, and her work often transformed close observation into stylized, highly distilled imagery. The print entered the Rijksmuseum in 1935 as a gift from G.A. de Graag, securing its place within the museum’s collection. It also reflects her continued engagement with mortality and impermanence, concerns that have often been linked to her personal struggles with depression and declining health.

De Graag’s later works, including October, are frequently understood in relation to these inner tensions. Her use of mushrooms is especially revealing: they belong to the living world, yet are often associated with dampness, decay, and the swift passing of seasonal life. She had already used mushrooms in prints from 1915 and 1916, suggesting that this was not an isolated motif but part of an ongoing fascination. In October, the subject’s autumnal character deepens that meaning, lending the print a subdued meditation on impermanence.

Art Nouveau and Symbolic Simplicity

Within the broader context of Art Nouveau, October stands apart for the severity and concentration of its design. Mushrooms were not a conventional heroic motif, yet in de Graag’s hands they become fitting emblems of ephemerality, renewal, and decay. The work raises an ordinary natural form into something more reflective and existential without losing its visual economy. Her precise contours and stripped-down language distinguish her from many of her contemporaries, giving her contribution to Dutch art a particular sharpness and individuality.

Technique and Material Presence

The print is a woodcut made from two blocks and printed in black and brown ink on paper. It measures 18.3 by 21.2 cm (7.2 by 8.3 inches). This traditional medium suited de Graag especially well, allowing her to produce the crisp outlines and strong contrasts that define her mature style. Rather than making the image feel coarse or heavy, the technique reinforces its clarity and restraint, intensifying the contemplative mood of the work.

The print was gifted to the Rijksmuseum in 1935 by G.A. de Graag and has remained in the museum’s collection ever since.