Weidelandschap met hooiwagen 1867 - 1935

Maurits van der Valk made this etching of a meadow landscape with hay wagon. Look how the scene unfolds through delicate lines, capturing a vast, open space. It's all about the process here, each stroke contributing to the bigger picture, the scene feels like a fleeting moment. The texture is created by these simple marks – a field of understated beauty. Then there's this set of marks trailing towards the middle, are those the tracks left by the hay wagon? The overall effect isn't about showing off skill, but about quietly observing the world. It reminds me of Whistler's etchings, where less is often more, and the suggestion of space can be more powerful than the thing itself. It’s art as an ongoing dialogue, a soft-spoken meditation on seeing and feeling.