Gezicht op Kasteel Streversdorp, in Montzen 1890 - 1930

Philip Zilcken made this etching of Streversdorp Castle in Montzen, using delicate lines and a muted palette of grays. The act of etching always feels a little bit like detective work to me. I mean, you're slowly revealing an image, scratching away at a surface, and then inking it to see what appears. I imagine Zilcken hunched over his plate, carefully building up the tones to create a misty atmosphere around the castle. What kind of day was it? How long did it take? The castle itself is so solid, and the surrounding foliage almost dissolves into abstraction. It's like he's playing with the tension between permanence and ephemerality, the solid architecture versus the transience of nature. The image feels like a memory or a dream, something seen through a veil. It reminds me of Whistler's etchings. Artists are always in conversation, borrowing and building on each other's ideas, aren’t they? Each etching is like a whispered secret, inviting us to come closer and listen.