Hoofd van een vrouw 1866 - 1939

Bernard Willem Wierink made this miniature portrait print of a woman’s head using etching, and look at that lovely velvety grey ink! I love how immediate printmaking can be – it’s so physical, so hands-on. I bet Wierink was right up close to that plate, coaxing out those delicate lines with his tools, wiping away excess ink to reveal the image. You can almost feel the pressure of the etching needle on the metal, right? The whole thing has a real sense of intimacy. That simple framing device, that rectangle in a rectangle, reminds me of other artists who used similar strategies to focus our gaze, like Manet. What I love about Wierink is his quiet observation and the way he captures something essential about his sitter with such minimal means. There’s a lot of looking going on in this little piece. I think there’s a lot we can learn from each other by looking, don’t you?