Jydsk landskab 1905

Marcus Bech Fritz made this print called Jydsk landskab, or Jutland Landscape, sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. The whole thing is rendered in a tight monochromatic palette of blacks and grays, which he coaxes out of the plate with incredible detail. It's like looking into a memory of a place, a stand of trees on the edge of the water. The textures feel incredibly tactile: the way the bark of the trees seems to ripple, the individual blades of grass, the suggestion of waves on the water. It's a real tour-de-force of the engraver's art! The group of trees in the center of the image have a real heft to them. I'm especially drawn to the thick trunk of the tree on the left and the way the light falls on its curving form, a beautiful exploration of how a mark can evoke volume and depth. I'm reminded a little of Whistler, who was also making prints around this time. But Fritz's approach feels distinct, more grounded, more focused on the specific details of the landscape.