Schaatsende figuur op een sloot 1940

Lodewijk Schelfhout made this etching, ‘Schaatsende figuur op een sloot’, which translates to ‘Skating figure on a ditch’, sometime in the first half of the 20th Century. There's a real sensitivity in the way that Schelfhout's worked the plate; he creates a scene of great tonal depth using a limited range of greys and blacks. There’s something about the marks he uses which is just lovely, especially in the sky. Looking closely, you can see how he manipulates the etching needle to create a sense of distance and atmosphere, and a real feeling of light. Look how the hatching creates soft, fluffy clouds that seem to drift across the sky, and how this contrasts with the sharper lines used to define the bare tree. It reminds me of how artists like Hercules Segers used etching to create imaginary landscapes that feel both real and dreamlike. But what I love most is that Schelfhout isn’t afraid to leave areas of the paper untouched. It’s almost as if he wants to remind us that art is always a conversation between the artist and the material, a dance between intention and chance.