Huis aan een sloot met knotwilgen 1887 - 1936

Maria Johanna Goemans made this etching called, Huis aan een sloot met knotwilgen. Right away I'm drawn into the quiet repetition of marks, the way the artist painstakingly built the image through a consistent, almost meditative process. It's like witnessing a dance between intention and chance. I can feel the pull of the dark ink on the page. Look at how the lines accumulate to create a sense of depth, especially in the grassy verge that leads up to the house. It's a beautiful passage, the lines creating texture and shadow. The reflection in the water is really special too, a kind of ghost image. This piece reminds me of the work of Paula Modersohn-Becker. Both artists share a similar sensitivity to the textures of the natural world, and both approached their work with an honest, unfussy eye. Art invites us to see the world anew, to slow down, and appreciate the beauty of a single, simple moment.