Rivierbedding c. 1970 - 1975

Kees Stoop made this etching of a riverbed, sometime during his lifetime. The entire image is made up of lines, laid down one after the other to create tone and texture. The process is completely visible, so you feel like you could have a go yourself. The density of the lines changes to define the different forms, so you have dark, almost impenetrable thickets of foliage in the foreground, giving way to the lighter, open space of the water. The light reflecting off the water is rendered as a series of horizontal dashes, implying movement across the surface, like the quick flick of a brush. Look at the way Stoop articulates the trees on the left-hand side: it’s like a series of scribbles, but somehow they become solid. There’s something of a connection to be made with Whistler’s etchings here, in the everyday subject matter and the emphasis on mark-making as a form of image-making. Ultimately, it’s the confidence and skill of the artist that brings this scene to life.