Besneeuwd bos c. 1906 - 1908

Willem Witsen made this etching of a snow-covered forest, what they call Besneeuwd bos in the Netherlands, probably sometime around the turn of the 20th century. It’s a symphony in grey, a close-valued harmony, but it’s also got this really interesting mark-making thing going on. Look at the lower trunk of that big tree, the way the lines are hatched and cross-hatched to build up the form. It’s so controlled, so deliberate, but then you see these little bursts of energy in the branches above, almost like the artist is letting loose a little. It’s this constant push and pull between order and chaos, control and freedom. And that tension, that’s what gives the print its life, its energy. The roots that reach out across the snow, they're like fingers, tentative, searching. It reminds me of some of Whistler’s nocturnes, the way he used etching to capture a mood, a feeling. It’s not just a picture of a forest, it’s a feeling of being in that forest, of breathing that cold, crisp air. That's the magic.