Jongen en meisje lezen samen een boek 1878 - 1910

This etching by Léopold Haeck depicts a boy and girl absorbed in a book. The composition is structured by contrasting textures and tones. The artist renders the scene in a closely hatched manner. A darker area created with diagonal and vertical lines, suggests an enclosed space. This contrasts with the lighter rendering of the two children. The textural variation emphasizes form. The light falling from the window highlights the children’s faces, drawing the viewer's eye to their shared activity. The use of line suggests a semiotic system that emphasizes form and narrative over realistic depiction. The formal elements in Haeck's print destabilize traditional notions of perspective, creating a dynamic interplay between space and form. The artist invites us to consider how meaning is constructed through visual language. It is a meditation on how simple forms can provoke deep contemplation about the nature of representation.