Golven bij rotsen 1885 - 1931

Editor: This is "Waves at Rocks," by Frederika Henriëtte Broeksmit, probably made sometime between 1885 and 1931. It's an etching and graphite piece, giving it this wonderfully textured look. I am struck by the sheer density of marks, almost like a woven textile portraying this scene. What can you tell me about the artistic and material processes visible in this work? Curator: Notice how the labor of creating this etching mirrors the labor of the sea? The repetitive act of scoring the plate with lines, mirroring the ceaseless crashing of the waves. Look closely, and you'll see how the graphite additions soften the harshness, introducing atmospheric effects. What implications does this layering of processes have on how we understand this image of nature? Editor: I guess it challenges a romantic view. The act of creating becomes as important as the scene itself, reminding us of the artist's work. Could it also be read as reflecting the industrialized exploitation of resources, by mimicking those processes through its very creation? Curator: Exactly! The piece prompts us to consider the economic context surrounding art production during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Who was consuming these landscape prints and what did that say about their relationship with the natural world? Broeksmit utilizes industry to mediate her image of nature. Does the industrial process somehow divorce it from its intended meaning, romantic and picturesque? Editor: That’s a really interesting point; I hadn’t considered how the medium itself plays a role in shaping our understanding. Seeing the image through this lens has shifted my perception quite a bit. Curator: The materiality transforms how we understand art, nature and labour. It is something I will also reflect upon.