Schelp 1867 - 1935

Maurits van der Valk made this image of a shell in watercolour, date unknown. The brushstrokes here are so juicy, thick in some places, thin in others. It looks as though he worked fast and intuitively to capture the essence of the shell’s form. The material aspect of this piece is all about the interplay of light and shadow. Van der Valk uses the translucent nature of watercolour to create depth and volume. The dark washes create a sense of weight and mass, while the lighter areas allow the paper to breathe. Look closely at the opening of the shell, and you’ll see how he uses these washes to suggest the receding space of the interior. It reminds me of some of the early modernists, like Emil Nolde, who similarly used the medium to capture an emotional response to the world. Both artists seem to suggest that art is less about depicting reality and more about creating a space for interpretation.