Naakten (frontaal en op de rug) c. 1965 - 1980

Aat Verhoog made this etching called “Nudes, front and back” at an unknown date. The figures emerge out of a web of delicate, scratchy marks. I imagine Verhoog bent over a copper plate, carefully dragging a sharp tool to create these lines. It's a slow, deliberate dance. The figures aren't idealized; they're just there, vulnerable and exposed, as if caught in a fleeting moment of self-reflection. There is a tension in these bodies that makes me think of Schiele. The way the artist has used line to create a sense of volume and depth is interesting, especially the way he delineates the figure on the left with sketchy anatomical marks. By including the front and back views of the nude figures, Verhoog creates a conversation about perspective, inviting us to consider the multifaceted nature of existence. His prints speak to me, like a whisper from one artist to another across time.