Eine Kreuzung 1979

Lau Heidendael made this lithograph called Eine Kreuzung, or A Crossing, sometime around now. The subtle tones of gray, achieved through layering and delicate mark-making, evoke a sense of quiet introspection. I imagine Heidendael working in the studio, focused on the quality of the lines and the balance of light and shadow. Maybe she was thinking about the Old Masters, or other printmakers, or just wrestling with the mystery of how a drawing can suggest a whole world. That expressive line carries so much feeling. It feels tender, yet also a little bit tentative, like the artist is feeling their way through the image. It’s like Heidendael is in conversation with the medium itself, listening to what the stone has to say, and letting the image emerge from that dialogue. I look at this lithograph and I feel like she’s urging us to embrace uncertainty. I wonder, what has crossed here? What has been transformed?