Lekkeresluis in Amsterdam 1885 - 1919

This is Herman Heuff's Lekkeresluis in Amsterdam, a small etching of a snowy cityscape. Look how the marks vary in intensity, creating depth and texture. You can see the lines are more concentrated to create darkness, and then they become sparse to suggest snow and light. It's like a dance of dark and light! Up close, you can feel the physical presence of the etched lines. Each one holds a trace of the artist's hand, building up the scene bit by bit. Notice the bridge; the precision of the brickwork contrasts with the blurry lines reflecting in the water. It's an image of a solid city reflected in a fluid reality. Heuff’s work shares a certain sensibility with that of Whistler, an interest in capturing a sense of place through tone, and the fleeting effects of light. It's a reminder that art is always in conversation, an exchange of seeing and feeling across time.