Breda 1888 - 1931

Willem Adrianus Grondhout made this print called ‘Breda’ without any colour, just shades of brown on paper, and I feel like you can really see the process. I love how the etching captures the church under repair, swathed in scaffolding. There's a real tension between the solid permanence of the church and the temporary structures clinging to its side. It's like a metaphor for how we're always building, always changing, even when we think something is fixed. The etched lines are so delicate, creating a surface that feels both gritty and ethereal. It’s almost like the whole scene could lift away in a breeze, which makes the solid church seem even more grounded. The way Grondhout has captured the light is amazing, there's a real sense of atmosphere. You could compare this to Piranesi, who also used etching to depict architecture with a sense of drama and imagination. It makes you think about how artists see cities, not just as places, but as living, breathing things.