Straat in Rijswijk 1888 - 1934

Willem Adrianus Grondhout made this etching of a street in Rijswijk at an unknown date. Imagine him there, bitten by mosquitoes, squinting in the sun to see the perspective. The lines are so close together, it’s like he’s whispering secrets to the plate with his needle. Look at the way he suggests the light, the way it bounces off the buildings and casts shadows on the street. He is working in darks and lights, pulling you into the depth. I wonder if he knew that woman? The one carrying water. Or did he add her later, to create the sense of life. It reminds me of Piranesi, but Grondhout is softer, more human. Like he’s not just showing you a place, but a feeling, a moment in time. His mark-making, the hatching, reminds me of printmakers like Whistler. Artists are always in conversation, you know? It's this continuous exchange of ideas across time. We see each other, we react, and we keep the dialogue going, each in our own way.