Gezicht op Maastricht, 1672 1900 - 1903

The brothers Moreau made this view of Maastricht using pen in 1672. The line work is so delicate, a real feat of seeing and describing. The subdued, almost ghostly grey hue gives the piece a dreamlike quality. It reminds me of those old photos where everything seems to be fading away, like a memory. The surface is covered in these tiny dots, like a fine mist. They soften the edges and create a subtle texture that pulls you in. Look at the way the walls of the city are rendered, they appear to melt into the landscape. It's as if the city is not just built on the land, but grows out of it. It reminds me a little of Piranesi's architectural fantasies, or maybe a dreamscape by Redon. It is so beautiful, this sense of art being a conversation across time, a shared language of feeling and seeing.