Gardameer 1885 - 1931

Frederika Henriëtte Broeksmit made this etching, Gardameer, using delicate lines, like whispers on paper. I imagine her in front of the scene, maybe squinting in the bright Italian light, trying to capture the clouds' fleeting forms. I'm always struck by the bravery of artists who try to capture something so ephemeral. The water is suggested with these horizontal dashes, confident yet unsure, like the water itself. Then, those clouds! She doesn't try to define them, just hints at their volume and weight with scribbled lines. It’s like she’s saying, "Here's what it felt like to be there, to see that." I see a relationship with Symbolist painters who were also trying to capture a feeling. It's a reminder that art isn't about perfect representation, but about the conversation between the artist, the world, and us. And that conversation is always evolving, changing, just like those clouds over Lake Garda.