Portret van Dante Alighieri 1878 - 1943

This etching of Dante Alighieri was made by Willem van Konijnenburg at an unknown date. It’s a mesmerizing portrait, all lines and character. I can just imagine Konijnenburg hunched over the plate, scratching away with his tools, building up those dense areas of shadow. Doesn't it feel like he was really wrestling with the image, trying to capture not just Dante's likeness, but something of his spirit? The hatching marks around the face are so intense, it makes you wonder what Konijnenburg was thinking about as he made it. Was he thinking about hell? Maybe the artist was having his own personal inferno while making this? Painters are constantly in dialogue with each other, across time and space. This print, with its focus on line and shadow, reminds me a bit of Rembrandt’s etchings. And I like that. Artists looking at artists! It's about the ongoing conversation that keeps art alive.